Even before Curtis Mead landed on the injured list, the Boston Red Sox were reportedly looking for a long-term option at shortstop.
Adding a long-term shortstop at the trade deadline would seemingly complicate things for Trevor Story and Marcelo Mayer, but the Red Sox seem determined to upgrade up the middle. Story moving to second base may not be in the cards since Mead is under contract for the next few years.
The Red Sox have reportedly checked in on Zach Neto, CJ Abrams and Jeremy Peña, according to ESPN's Buster Olney. However, those are not the only star shortstop they have shown interest in.
"A really interesting name: The Red Sox have checked into the availability of Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez, who is in the midst of a special season; he leads all hitters with a .328 average," Olney wrote on Wednesday.
Lopez is under contract through 2029 and is going for a batting title. He was named an All-Star this year and leads all of baseball in doubles. He has nine homers and would be an amazing addition for any team. However, the Marlins may be hesitant to trade him.
The Marlins are just two games out of a wild card spot, and trading Lopez would certainly hurt their chances. As for the Red Sox, adding Lopez after adding Mead would not only take away spots from Story and Mayer, but also block Franklin Arias' path to The Show.
Arias is the team's top prospect and could debut as soon as this season. However, the team still seems interested in adding a shortstop with club control. An infield of Willson Contreras, Mead, Lopez and Durbin going into next season would be phenomenal for the Red Sox, but then they would have to find a way for Arias to play.