We’ve played “Take Your Pick” with the Red Sox before, so let’s do it again.
OverTheMonster.com’s Matt Gross took an extensive look this week at the multitude of internal and external rumors about who could be starting shortstop for the Red Sox when baseball ramps up in 2027.
I believe there are four names Red Sox Nation would consider: two external and two internal. Who makes sense? Who can hold down and stay at the position? Who actually elevates the Boston lineup to actually win a playoff series and more?
Let’s dive into it with these four shortstops.
Trevor Story (Red Sox)
2026 Season: 64 games, .235/.271/.351, .621 OPS, 5 HR, 29 RBI, -2 OAA, -1 DRS
As has been the story of the majority of his Red Sox career, Story had another gruesome start to 2026 and then found himself back on the injured list. He struggled to ever get going offensively outside of a few nice moments upon his return with Roman Anthony in late August. With the glove, his standout defense that maintained his value a few years ago is regressing before our eyes. It feels risky to run him back out for the final year of his contract in 2027, but can the Red Sox realistically find a trade partner for him? Especially since doing the same for Masataka Yoshida and Jarren Duran is already difficult.
Franklin Arias (Red Sox – Triple-A)
2026 Season (Double-A/Triple-A): 117 games, .323/.400/.557, .957 OPS, 25 HR, 91 RBI
Arias was worthy of attention in the system before last season. Then came a slugfest formerly unknown in his game.
MLB’s No. 2 prospect mashed 25 home runs and made power a greater part of his offensive profile, thus rewriting his ceiling upon his eventual arrival to the big leagues. He can grind out at-bats, consistently took his walks, and now impressed the organization with his newfound ability to do damage and impact the baseball.
He doesn’t have the same publicly tracked defensive metrics like his MLB counterparts, but Arias does feature a 55-grade arm and a 60-grade field tool according to MLB Pipeline.
The Red Sox haven’t gotten what they expected from the “Big Three” in that round of amplifying homegrown talent. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t ride with Arias in 2027. He’s certainly earned the opportunity. Do the Red Sox believe he makes sense over these other candidates?
Elly De La Cruz (Reds)
2026 Season: 143 games, .283/.365/.515, .880 OPS, 30 HR, 79 RBI, +7 OAA, -6 DRS
I’m sure this is going to be the name that lights up the comments. And it should be.
Cruz is an electrifying player with real offensive firepower and a cannon for an arm at shortstop. He had his best season of his career in 2026 and did so in 30-30 fashion. I don’t need to sit here advocating for this move – we know he’s a stud.
Here’s what it comes down to: De La Cruz enters his first arbitration year in 2027 and can go to free agency after 2029. What do the Red Sox have left to trade for him and can they close the deal on an extension with a top-20 player in the sport?
2026 Season: 152 games. .261/.336/.497, .834 OPS, 33 HR, 106 RBI, -17 OAA, -5 DRS
Let’s look at another name that intertwined with the Red Sox at last year’s trade deadline.
Abrams is a dynamic player with solid power and speed. Craig Breslow and Paul Taboni are comfortable trade partners, so another Red Sox-Nationals deal isn’t crazy.
Abrams did have a rather rough defensive season in 2026 and may not stay at shortstop long term. So is he worth the investment of a blockbuster trade package in this era of the run-prevention Red Sox?
It’s not a perfect fit.
