The 2026 General Manager Meetings are in full swing and rumors and speculation have already started to surface across Major League Baseball with the hot stove starting to turn on.

In a typical year, you wouldn't see much else at this point in the year, aside from rumors. But with a lockout likely coming in December, things have shifted a bit. For example, veteran reliever Emilio Pagan inked a one-year, $11 million deal to join the Detroit Tigers. When it comes to the Boston Red Sox, so far there has been a lot of noise about various shortstops that could help the organization, including Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds. CJ Abrams of the Washington Nationals is another infielder who has been connected to Boston. Zach Neto was a target for Boston ahead of the 2026 trade deadline, but the price tag was absurd.

There has been plenty of noise out there, but ESPN's Jeff Passan threw cold water specifically on Abrams and Neto on Wednesday.

"The perfect move for them — a true impact bat — would likelier be in the trade market," Passan wrote. "And there are options. CJ Abrams or Zach Neto would cost Franklin Arias, who could find himself at shortstop for Boston in 2027, so those are likely out of the question."

Unpacking The CJ Abrams, Zach Neto Report

This is an interesting point that arguably is for the best. Franklin Arias is the No. 2 overall prospect in baseball and is coming off a season in which he slashed .323/.400/.557 with a .957 OPS, 25 home runs, 91 RBIs, nine stolen bases, 28 doubles and 78 runs scored in 117 games played across Double-A and Triple-A. Plus, he's just 20 years old.

You don't trade a guy like that unless you're getting a legit superstar in return. That's not to say Neto and Abrams aren't very good players. They both are. Abrams is a two-time All-Star and is coming off a season in which belted 33 home runs and drove in 106 runs. Plus, he's just 26 years old. But if you're going to think about trading Arias, you can't do it for a player with question marks. Abrams is completely up in the air defensively. Is he a long-term shortstop? Or, more likely, a second baseman? Plus, he has two seasons of team control left. That's not worth trading Arias.

Neto has three straight seasons with at least 5.1 wins above replacement under his belt, but he's coming off a season in which he hit .239. He has three seasons of team control left. Arguably, Arias has higher upside.

So, the fact that Passan noted that both are unlikely because they would cost Arias is a good sign and shows how highly Boston views the young infielder. Over the last few weeks, De La Cruz has been the name that Red Sox fans have been talking about the most. So, it's arguably interesting that his name wasn't mentioned by Passan. If available, he's the type of player that moving Arias actually would make sense. The 24-year-old slashed .283/.365/.515 in 2026 with 30 homers, 30 stolen bases and 79 RBIs. He's the guy you go get, even if it costs Arias.

It's good to know Boston won't dangle Arias in trade talks for guys like Abrams or Neto, but if De La Cruz becomes available, Boston absolutely should.