The Boston Red Sox recently approached the Houston Astros about trading for Jeremy Peña, but were "shut down immediately," per WHDH Boston's Ari Alexander.
Peña is one of the best shortstops in baseball and would be a massive upgrade over the Red Sox's current situation. Even if Trevor Story were healthy and playing as well as he did last year, Peña would still be the better option. While outlining blockbuster trade ideas, ESPN's David Schoenfield paired Peña with the Red Sox.
"It's remarkable that Boston's winning streak came with Tsung-Che Cheng starting at shortstop -- after all, he was claimed four times on waivers this offseason (the Rays, Mets, Nationals and finally the Red Sox) and was essentially fifth on the Boston depth chart at the position," wrote Schoenfield on Monday. "Which means: Pena would be the perfect addition for the Red Sox. He's an upgrade on defense and would give the lineup a much-needed right-handed bat. He's under team control for another season, which allows the Red Sox flexibility with top prospect Franklin Arias."
Peña was an All-Star last year, and in 60 games this year he is slashing .316/.370/.502 with 11 homers. The Astros are not expected to have a fire sale, and Peña seems to be off limits in trade talks. However, the impact he could have on any contender is undeniable.
The Red Sox already added one middle infielder in Curtis Mead through a trade. They are reportedly in the market for a shortstop as well, so it seems like Craig Breslow is ready to go in a completely new direction up the middle.
