One thing that is true every offseason is the fact that there is always trade speculation. There is some that makes a lot of sense. And some that do not.

When it comes to the Boston Red Sox, there are few major holes. For the Red Sox to get better in 2026, the easiest ways to do so would be by adding power from the designated hitter spot, another bullpen arm or two and maybe a veteran starter. One area that the club doesn't need to add right now is in the infield. Willson Contreras will be at first base. Curtis Mead is likely to be at second base. Caleb Durbin was a Gold Glove Award finalist at third base in 2026.

Boston has Trevor Story at shortstop and Franklin Arias could very well get a shot at some point quickly. Because of this, Boston doesn't need to go out and trade prospects for an infielder. Because of this, Bleacher Report's proposal for Boston to target Jeremy Pena doesn't make much sense.

Not The Best Move For Boston

"Boston Red Sox: A Trade for a Middle Infielder," Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller wrote. "Prime Target: Houston's Jeremy Pena (arbitration-eligible in 2027, estimated at $13.1M). Though they have a potential star waiting in the wings in the form of top prospect Franklin Arias, the Red Sox got a whole lot of nothing from their 2B and SS spots in 2026. And because they rather expect Arias to be a key piece of the puzzle by no later than 2028, trading for a multi-year solution a la CJ Abrams, Zach Neto or Corey Seager probably isn't the route they want to go, if they can instead get one year of Pena at a not-too-exorbitant cost."

Pena is a great player. But, again, this idea doesn't make much sense because of the surplus of infielders Boston already has. This past summer, the idea of a move would've made a lot more sense. Right now, that's not the case. Why trade pieces away to add a player to an area of surplus, especially when Pena has just one more season of team control left?

In 2026, Pena hit 22 home runs, drove in 56 runs and stole 12 bases in 112 games. He's a one-time All-Star, Gold Glove Award winner, World Series champion, and former World Series and ALCS MVP. He's a very good player. But he doesn't solve the Red Sox's biggest need.

The Red Sox have been depleting the farm system over the last year through the trade market. Depleting it further for a player who isn't a perfect fit doesn't make sense. For Boston, the best way to improve would be to specifically target a bat to take over as the DH and bring legit pop to the middle of the order. Pena doesn't fit that description.