Red Sox linked to dream target Shea Langeliers—but there's a catch

Boston Red Sox On SI · Jul 22, 2026 10:30 · 2 min read

Red Sox Linked to Dream Target Shea Langeliers—But There's a Catch — Jun 30, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) looks on after scoring a run on an RBI single by Athletics designated hitter Jonah Heim, not shown, during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Boston Red Sox were listed as longshot trade candidates for this stud catcher.

When you think of the phrase "dream trade target" in relation to the Boston Red Sox right now, Shea Langeliers of the Athletics floats to the top of mind.

Langeliers has established himself as one of the premier power hitters in the game, period, and might be the No. 1 pick for best offensive catcher in the league for the rest of the season. The Red Sox, meanwhile, have a catching tandem that can't hit and field at the same time, and it's not as if Connor Wong can be trusted to hit for power even if he's getting his singles.

The buzz about the A's potentially trading Langeliers has grown as the team has had the worst month of July in Major League Baseball. But the Red Sox trading for the first-time All-Star still feels like a longshot -- though not altogether impossible.

Can Sox do anything to pry Langeliers loose?

On Tuesday, ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel released a new version of their Top 100 trade candidates list for the summer. With under two weeks to go before the deadline, the Red Sox ranked among the top few fits for Langeliers -- but assigned the 28-year-old just a 10% chance of being traded

"The A's are always going to listen, but they have told teams that they have zero desire to trade Langeliers, who is arguably the best catcher in the big leagues," Passan and McDaniel wrote. "He's on the list anyway because the team's pitching has dragged the A's out of playoff contention, and moving Langeliers with multiple years of control would bring back a whale of a package and the sorts of arms they could use."

So the Red Sox would have to put together a godfather offer, essentially. And their willingness to do that would have to come from a place of acknowledgement that the catcher position has become a bit of a mess that needs to be cleaned up.

Langeliers is under control through the end of the 2028 season. It's not an all-in move for this year alone, but it's still a big shot to take. Would the Red Sox give up Connelly Early or Jake Bennett, plus more prospects, to get it done?