The Boston Red Sox's 15-game win streak has them back in the mix of things, and they figure to be buyers at the trade deadline.
According to MLB.com's Ian Browne on Thursday, Craig Breslow is in the market for a bat, and a right-hander may be preferred. The lineup currently leans more left-handed, and when Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony are back, it will be more lefties in there. However, Mayer was struggling before he got hurt, so adding a middle infielder could be wise for the Red Sox.
Mayer and Story are both on the injured list right now, and Story's return timeline is still pretty unclear. The Red Sox could add a right-handed shortstop whom they could move to second base to replace Mayer when Story is back. Zach Neto of the Los Angeles Angels could make great sense as a trade target.
Neto strikes out a ton, but he has a .771 OPS and is under club control through 2029. He could fill in at shortstop while Story recovers, and then when Story is back, the Red Sox can weigh their options with Neto, Story, and Mayer. Neto has 19 home runs, and adding him to the lineup could set the Red Sox up for a deep run.
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The Angels are likely going to be selling off some of their biggest assets, and Neto falls into that category. While most teams could be eying Reid Detmers or Jose Soriano, the Red Sox could pounce on the opportunity to add Neto. He may not cost too much in terms of prospect capital and is still arbitration-eligible.
Neto has a .892 OPS against southpaws this year. Surprisingly, the Red Sox actually hit very well against left-handed pitching on the year. However, they rank 29th in OPS against right-handers. Neto's OPS against righties is .733, so he would still be able to help them.