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Could Boston Red Sox Target Astros’ Shortstop in Trade?

· Yahoo Sports

With less than a month until the MLB Trade Deadline, teams across baseball are exploring every avenue to improve their teams at this point.

And even though they currently sit in last place in the American League East, the Boston Red Sox should be no different. Could the Red Sox swing a deal with the Houston Astros to land shortstop Jeremy Pena ahead of the deadline? 

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About Pena 

The 28-year-old shortstop is in his fifth major league season, all in Houston, where he has hit .273/.323/.419/.742 with 70 home runs. In 2026, he has hit .295/.356/.443/.799 with six home runs and 21 RBI. He is currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land, working his way back from a left calf strain that landed him on the 10-day injured list on June 30. 

Mar 31, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (3) smiles before receiving his World Series championship ring prior to the game against the Chicago White Sox at Minute Maid Park. Erik Williams-Imagn Images

As a rookie, Pena starred in Houston’s 2022 World Series run, hitting .345/.367/.638/1.005 en route to being named both the ALCS and World Series MVP. 

Defensively, Pena’s 33 defensive runs saved from 2022-2026 rank second among all shortstops, trailing only Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson. He also ranks among the 10 best defensive shortstops in both Outs Above Average and Defensive Runs Saved. 

Pena also has New England ties, having spent three seasons at the University of Maine from 2016-18 before joining the Astros organization. 

Would Houston trade him? 

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Pena is the third-best trade-deadline target in baseball, giving him a 35 percent chance of being dealt. “Replenishing a bad farm system with few players close to the big leagues takes a move like trading Peña, and the only question at this point is whether it will be before Aug. 3 or before the Dec. 1 lockout,” wrote Passan of Houston’s motivation to move its 28-year-old shortstop. 

Why would the Red Sox buy at the deadline? 

Thanks to a stretch of nine wins in their last 11 games, the Red Sox find themselves only four games back of the Texas Rangers for the final Wild Card spot in the American League. 

While the Red Sox are still very much on the outside looking in, Pena will not hit free agency until after the 2027 season, giving Boston Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow an opportunity to improve the offensive outlook for both seasons. 

While Marcelo Mayer was seen as the shortstop of the future in Boston, his 2026 campaign has raised more questions than answers. The 23-year-old struggled to a .220/.282/.312/.594 line before landing on the injured list with a forearm injury on June 26. 

What would a deal look like? 

As noted by Passan, Houston has one of the weakest farm systems in baseball. According to Baseball America’s midseason update, the Astros system ranks 27th in baseball. 

Houston’s rotation is also among the worst in baseball, posting a 5.19 ERA, the third-highest mark in the sport. Enter one of the best teams at developing starters under Breslow, the Sox. Breslow believes in his pitching infrastructure's ability to identify pitchers with room to grow and elevate them to major-league-caliber starters, which makes him comfortable trading away from the team’s pitching depth. 

Could rookie left-hander Jake Bennett be of interest to the Astros? In his first seven big-league starts, the 25-year-old has posted a 3.10 ERA over 40.2 innings while ranking in the 99th percentile in chase rate. Bennett has been particularly impressive since being recalled on June 10, allowing just nine earned runs on 22 hits across 30.1 innings while striking out 27 and walking only three batters. 

Bennett carries with him six seasons of team control after 2026, making him one of baseball’s most coveted assets, a young pitcher with team control, bolstering a rotation both now and in the future. 

If Bennett isn’t of interest, could fellow rookie left-hander Connelly Early (health permitting) be dangled in a potential deal? Early, like Bennett, doesn’t have the ace upside of Payton Tolle and fits the mold of pitchers Breslow has developed in his three seasons at the helm of the Red Sox. 

The 24-year-old Early has a slightly longer track record of major league success than Bennett, posting a 3.24 ERA in his first 21 big league starts dating back to September 2025. While still carrying four years of team control after the 2026 season. 

If controllable starting pitching is what Houston is after, there are few teams in baseball that can provide Astros’ GM Dana Brown a better list to choose from than Boston. 

The MLB trade deadline is Aug. 3 at 6:00 p.m. ET. 

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How to live stream Fever vs Sparks: WNBA, TV channel

· Yahoo Sports

All-Stars Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston are game-time decisions as the Indiana Fever (12-8) visit the Los Angeles Sparks (8-11) at crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Wednesday night, looking for a third straight win and a season sweep of the Sparks.

Jun 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Sparks forward Dearica Hamby (5) and forward Nneka Ogwumike (30) and guard Kelsey Plum (10) react against the Portland Fire in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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How to Watch Indiana Fever vs Los Angeles Sparks

  • When: Wednesday, July 8, 2026
  • Time: 10:00 PM ET
  • TV Channel: Spectrum Sports Network
  • Live Stream: Fubo (try for free)

Los Angeles, playing without injured star Kelsey Plum (lower leg), lost its third game in a row on Monday night, falling to the visiting Seattle Storm 82-64. Dearica Hamby finished with 17 points, and Nneka Ogwumike put up 14 points and 11 rebounds in the loss, while Erica Wheeler dished out seven assists. The Sparks shot just 33.8% and hit only 5-of-29 from 3-point range while committing 19 turnovers.

The Fever came off an 84-68 road victory over the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday night. Kelsey Mitchell dropped 27 points for Indiana, while Boston went for 18 points and 10 rebounds but came away with a leg injury. Clark hasn’t played since June 24 but said she hopes to go to L.A. on Wednesday night.

Mitchell averages 21.9 points for Indiana, with Clark getting 21.2 points and 8.2 assists per game, and Boston putting up 17.1 points and 8.6 rebounds a night. Ogwumike paces the Sparks with averages of 16.1 points and 8.7 rebounds, and Hamby nets 14.3 points per game.

This is a great WNBA matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.

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Conor McGregor: 'It's silly' to question my hunger ahead of UFC 329

· Yahoo Sports

LAS VEGAS – There are many questions surrounding the return of Conor McGregor. However, there's one that many are asking themselves when trying to predict the outcome of his rematch against Max Holloway: Does McGregor still want it?

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Well, for "The Notorious," there is an obvious answer to that question, and it's so obvious that it makes the question itself foolish. McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) returns to the cage this Saturday in the main event of UFC 329 (Paramount+), which takes place at T-Mobile Arena. He takes on Holloway (27-9 MMA, 23-9 UFC) in a five-round bout contested at 170 pounds. McGregor believes the matchup itself proves his commitment to the game.

"If I didn't have the fire or the hunger, yet I'm up against one of the most active bodies in the fight game in Max Holloway," McGregor said at Wednesday's UFC 329 media day. "I just think it's silly to say this. The challenge is colossal. The challenge ahead of me is colossal. I'm entering with supreme confidence. It's magnificent; the fire is in my belly roaring, and it's about to be released on Saturday night."

This bout will be the first fight for McGregor since breaking his leg in his 2021 TKO loss to Dustin Poirier. The inactivity and the severity of the injury could make many athletes question whether to enter a fight with a world-class fighter such as Holloway. McGregor has made sure that's not a factor come fight night.

"I outworked doubt," McGregor said. "Doubt only builds if you do not put the work in, so I make sure I put the work in. Our preparation for this bout has been very meticulous. We've been very, if you will, secretive. Nothing has really come out on our approach or our styles. It's a full-fledged mixed martial artist stepping in that octagon on Saturday night. I'm excited to show it."

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Conor McGregor: 'It's silly' to question my hunger ahead of UFC 329

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