The Red Sox have fought their way back into playoff contention after their shocking trade of franchise face Rafael Devers last month. Boston has rattled off a seven-game win streak to put themselves at a 50-45 record entering play today and in a statistical tie with the Mariners for the final AL Wild Card spot. That hasn’t stopped some of their top players from finding their names in the rumor mill, however. While it would be shocking for a team in playoff position that has plenty of uncertainty on the infield as it is to trade away someone like Alex Bregman, the Red Sox do have an overflowing outfield mix that could at least theoretically be put to use this summer and bring back some much-needed pitching help.
Masataka Yoshida returned to the Red Sox yesterday after missing the first half of the season while rehabbing his surgically repaired shoulder, and with his return comes an embarrassment of riches in the Red Sox outfield. Roman Anthony entered the season as the sport’s consensus top prospect and, after a slow start, has taken off in recent weeks with a .308/.413/.462 slash line since the Devers trade. Fellow youngster Ceddanne Rafaela has also caught fire of late, with an absurd .303/.341/.630 slash line since the start of June that he’s paired with some of the best outfield defense in the entire American League. And that’s before even getting into Wilyer Abreu and Jarren Duran, both of whom established themselves as impact players with big campaigns in 2024.
It’s Duran who’s gotten the most attention as a trade candidate of that group, and he’s certainly attractive. He’s just one year removed from a top-ten finish in AL MVP voting, and while his 2025 season (105 wRC+) has left something to be desired, it’s easy for teams to dream on that upside given his three-and-a-half years of team control remaining. There aren’t many teams in baseball who wouldn’t stand to benefit from adding someone of Duran’s caliber to their lineup, but which clubs should be most interested in his services? A look at some potential fits:
San Diego Padres
The most discussed potential suitor for Duran early on, San Diego has targeted the outfielder in the past and that interest appears to be ongoing. The Padres are operating under a tight budget, so a player like Duran who remains in the early years of arbitration is an attractive addition. They’ve also got a gaping hole in the lineup after their left field platoon of Jason Heyward and Connor Joe to open the season did not work out. Gavin Sheets is currently holding down the fort at the position, and while his 118 wRC+ this year has been impressive he’s also a poor defender best suited to DH work. Adding Duran, then, could upgrade the club both offensively and defensively.
Houston Astros
There might be no team that’s a better on-paper fit for Duran than the Astros. With Yordan Alvarez on the injured list for most of the season and Kyle Tucker having been dealt to Chicago, Houston has no left-handed regulars in its lineup. That lack of lefty bats has made them a pedestrian offense (103 wRC+) against right-handed pitching this year, and while Cam Smith has settled in well as the club’s new right fielder a combination of Taylor Trammell, Cooper Hummel, and Jose Altuve in left isn’t great. Duran would be a perfect addition for the club, though a farm system typically viewed as one of the weakest in the majors could make acquiring a talent of his caliber difficult.
Kansas City Royals
The Royals have been looking to find help for Bobby Witt Jr. in their lineup, and while they thought they found just that this winter when they traded for Jonathan India, the addition hasn’t worked out as hoped so far. No team gets less production from their outfield mix than Kansas City, and while Jac Caglianone should contribute at some point, the rest of the group is in need of a serious makeover. Duran would be a strong addition who could fill the leadoff role India was brought in to address, but the team’s 46-48 record could make buying this summer a tough sell unless they can rattle off a big win streak. While other contenders are likely more motivated to make a deal now, the Royals could be an especially interesting suitor if Duran remains in Boston headed into the winter.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies are clinging to a small lead over the Mets in the NL East at the moment, and they’re doing that without much production from their outfield. Brandon Marsh has turned things around after a disastrous start to the year and is now roughly league average overall, and Nick Castellanos remains his usual self. The addition of Max Kepler simply hasn’t worked out, however, and Johan Rojas hasn’t looked good as anything more than a defense-first bench option either. Replacing Kepler with Duran would not only help the Phillies in the short-term, but it would also allow the team to add a controllable, cost-effective bat to the lineup at a time where multiple significant pieces (Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, Ranger Suarez) will either need to be re-signed or replaced.
Other Options
While the four teams mentioned above are arguably the teams that could benefit most from adding Duran, there are certainly other clubs that should have at least some interest in his services. Michael Conforto’s OPS is below .600, and with him ticketed for free agency after the season the Dodgers would certainly stand to improve from adding Duran and could make room for him long-term. The Mariners could be a tricky fit given that both Duran and Randy Arozarena are best suited to left field, but they could certainly use an extra outfield bat. The Pirates are clear sellers this season but need reliable bats to surround Paul Skenes and the rest of their young rotation, and even Bob Nutting can afford an arbitration-level player like Duran. The Twins will need a replacement for Harrison Bader’s production going forward, and perhaps Duran could serve as a bridge to Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez for Minnesota.
If the Red Sox decide to move Duran, which club would benefit most from bringing him in? Have your say in the poll below:
None
Came here to say Boston.
Who would Boston trade for him though, Cowboy?
Exactly Gwynning. I love this site but articles like this that don’t project returns is almost like click bait.
a player to be named later
Lol
In fairness he’s been named by every baseball writer, program and rumor site. I don’t know why they would trade him, but usually when there’s that much smoke there’s some fire to it…never know b/w Cora and Breslow.
This site has gotten real good at it, Dewey! One might say they’re master baiters nowadays…
Like there was with Cease in the offseason? This site alone had 22 articles in 5 months that mentioned possible Cease trades. He is still a Padre.
There actually haven’t been ANY reputable writers who’ve mentioned anything about legit Duran rumors other than the report from 2 months ago that San Diego was “interested”….but there’s literally been nothing since. Abreu is the far more likely OF to get traded
They did shop him they just didn’t get what they wanted
Every site repeating the same click-bait rumor? That never happens.. I do agree they have a logjam, but moving any of the current players not named Bregman or Yoshida would be a tough sell to the fans without a very good/overwhelming return. I doubt anyone is willing to give up high level prospects or above a #5 starter that doesn’t already have their own logjam to unclog. I’d say trade Bregman and/or Yoshida, and eat salary to keep the kids playing where they are. But hey, that’s just my opinion
Not going there Gwynning ..
As a jays fan I find it very weird to read an article about who would be interested in player xyz and not see them as one of the said teams.
The Sox would never trade Duran to the team they’re trying to beat unless they were totally out of it and were offered a King’s ransom that was not expected. Suppose Vladdy hadn’t re-inked and Toronto wasn’t out of it, would you include Boston in an article about where he might land? It’s not realistic even with Boston’s obvious need and their ability to part with good prospects.
I agree with Sweet… NONE
Bregman gets moved as he will opt out.
Ceddanne gets moved back to the infield, and Yoshi is primary DH.
Log jam cleared. Only question is what the return for Bregman is.
The Rockies
None is right
Voted SD based on the question, but they don’t have the assets. For that, Royals are the best combo of need/ability.
they would give up Salas or mayfield
Not Salas, soz.
That`s not enough
Then, seemingly as we all suspect, Duran won’t be traded.
Pads would have to give up Salas or DeVries. But why trade for him, we need a RH bat
It would have to be both, and I’d still rather have Duran. Salas needs to learn how to hit A+ ball before he’s the main piece for a good MLB player.
Agreed. In addition to showing hit consistency, also needs to display long term health. Catching is a rough job.
Also, a 1-1 player/prospect deal hasn’t been kind to them recently. See the Sale/Grissom swap.
De Vries is the #3 prospect in baseball. It would take a player much better and younger than Duran to prompt the Padres to trade him.
Think about it, would the Red Sox have traded Anthony prior to last season? De Vries is a higher rated prospect and 3 years younger than Anthony.
In his age 18 season Anthony was in rookie ball and a few games in low A where he hit .189 with a .522 OPS. De Vries is in high A with a .761 OPS (.50 points higher than league average) playing against pitchers 5 years older than he is on average. (Midwest League pitchers averaged 23.2 years old to start the season)
So Duran and his career 112 OPS+ is not enough to get De Vries.
It would take Salas AND Mayfield to even open the conversation, but I doubt the Sox would have interest. The only way I think they’d move Duran is for an established, controllable SP2-SP3 …they’re not giving up Duran for prospects 2-3yrs away
If Duran was a rental then salas would be off the table, but this is 3 and a half years of control for a guy that can get 8 war
Besides the Red Sox would value Salas a ton because they need a long term catcher (assuming narvaez isnt their permanent starter)
I can’t speak to Boston’s level of interest in Salas, but just alluding to the well-known fact that AJ will not move him. You’re not wrong by any stretch though, sad. It would be a value-to-value and equitable trade; it’s just not happening.
I don’t see why they wouldn’t view Narvaez as their starting catcher going forward. He’s on a 5.0-5.5 WAR pace as a rookie; even if you assume his bat regresses to league average he’s probably a 3.5-4.0 WAR player
I just put that out there because his production has been completely unexpected this year
He might be their next catcher for year to come, or he might forget how to hit and get taken off
Yep. I’m enjoying watching Narvaez but is he THE MAN or another Sandy Leon? While I will always have a special place for Leon, he too came out of nowhere and initially hit.
Completely agree. Hope he’s the real deal but have been burned by flash in the pan seasons from Leon and even Wong for a bit last year, I will need to see him sustain playing at a plus level well into next year to really have more faith in him being the long term guy.
Narveaz didn’t come out of nowhere. He played 190 games in AAA over 2yrs w/Yankees, hitting .247/.371 and an OPS of .772 with 21 HR and good defensive grades. He was a steal for the Sox …. if you bought into Sandy Leon, thats on you lol
Tommy, no one is bringing in Leon now but back then his defensive pedigree was every bit as strong only they measured differently. He was though not as good a hitter and yet for the first couple of months he was a hitting machine.
a) I would assume the Sox ABSOLUTELY view Narveaz as their C of the future. He’s 26, not even arb eligible for 3 more yrs, grades very well defensively and has been a top 5 C offensively.
b) Salas trade value isn’t great. He’s yet to hit at any level, yet SD keeps promoting him. He’s at LEAST 2yrs away and thats assuming he starts hitting his weight at some point.
c) If the Sox moved Duran, it would most likely be for MLB players, not prospects anyway….presumably a controllable SP2-SP3 with upside type
I assume his price tag will be based on 2024 production with most teams wanting to base their offers on the 2025 version, so can’t see a deal happening
The Red Sox are not trading Duran
Coop – Problem is it will be Duran or Abreu, and Abreu is a lot younger and better hitter and better fielder.
Fever, I wouldn’t say a better hitter. More power it seems but Duran’s speed is a game changer. The age, control and the expected upcoming immediate salary increases are the issues. I though still believe Duran will fetch more but it might be after the season.
But that also provides an advantage in that it will be easier to acquire a return commensurate with Abreu’s actual value.
There is going to be a lot more variance in opinion on what Duran is and what Duran will be going forward. There might be teams who view Duran as highly valuable, but as far as what they’re willing to pay it will be closer in line to his 2023 or 2025 value. There will probably also be some teams who view him as a soon to be 29 year old who may have already peaked so they wouldn’t even pay fair value based on his ’23 or ’25 production since they are concerned about longevity. The Sox on the other hand have seen what he is capable of at his best (last year), and while that may not be the annual norm he has at least proven he can hit that gear as a player, and him reaching that for even a month or two is vital to our postseason hopes right now. So not only would selling him at a fair value to his ’23 or ’25 production feel like selling his value short, getting any less than that would be even less acceptable. Not to mention the slap in the face to morale if they ship off yet another fan favorite. There are just too many factors that I don’t think they would be able to get a good enough offer to justify pulling the trigger on Duran even if he’s the guy they prefer to move.
Abreu on the other hand, there is far less disagreement on what he is. It will be much, much easier to get fair value coming back on him.
This is actually a fairly perfect analysis. Been saying this for weeks. Duran is far more vital to the team with what he brings and his intangibles and leadership (especially with Devers gone) ..Abreu is FAR more likely to get moved imo ….especially since the ‘Password’ isnt far behind.
Better fielder, yes – better ‘power’, sure. Better ‘hitter’ …nah. Baserunner, nah…leader, nah.
Duran’s intangibles far outweigh what Abreu brings to the table imo …which is why Abreu has taken on more of the 4th OF role since Anthony’s promotion. Abreu is the odd man out
Nobody. Guy’s a darn good baseball player, but also a spaz.
Sounds like you need a tennis racket to hit. A TENNIS RACKET!!
Is this click Bait?
Yes
Breslow has proven he’s gonna do things his way so I see him sticking with the young guys and moving Duran. He’s a tricky player to value though as he may have peaked last season.
He’s coming on fine right now and can dictate a game with his speed. I no longer believe 24 was the best he will produce.
While the Red Sox have a log jam it’s a good thing I feel…Unless THEY are blown away with trade, theses things have a way of working out.. Please… Don’t settle for some rummy, just for the sake of a strength ….
NY Mets
Nolan McLean would need to come back in that deal.
Not understanding why everyone thinks he is getting traded. What can the Padres give up to get him? A teenaged catcher with an ultra fast bat speed and a 200 batting average? Only Philly has the goods in that list to get the job done
There is that “if” word. I seriously doubt they move him.
I feel like the Padres always figure out a way to get what they want, though. They would likely throw in a top reliever as well to help.
How are the Mets not on the poll? They would be the odds on favorite.
If anyone in the Mets or Phillies front offices have watched “The Clubhouse” or read/heard any of Jarren’s comments after the Devers trade they would probably be wise to avoid trying to acquire him. If he struggles with pressure in Boston, he’s not going to like New York or Philadelphia
i would disagree about ny because you got two bigger names in soto and lindor and even alonso so that pressure probably wouldnt be as high in boston.
I hope the Sox keep Duran. While his value is high, trading him only makes sense if the return is truly elite. Even with outfield depth, moving him now could hurt momentum and send the wrong message. I don’t like the trade idea, his ceiling is too valuable for the Sox right now if they want to win.
If he doesn’t get traded then someone will need to be benched, and Anthony would end up having to spend a lot of time at DH since abreu and Rafaela are gold glovers ON TOP of yoshida having to do something
They should at least move Rafaela to the middle infield
Rafaela is going to win a GG in center this year. Hes not moving to the infield.
Pirates have helpful pitchers and need controllable position players-they align nice whether it’s Duran or someone else depending on what arms RSox would covet.
I agree. Multiple scenarios here could be explored.
2 MLB starters not named Skenes,I would do it.
2 of the Pirates starters,Maybe a prospect and i would trade duran.anything less nope wouldn’t trade him.If you have a strength then someone will offer a boat load as they get anxious about if they have enough to win.
I voted for Minnesota so they can have “Duran Duran” with Jhoan & Jarren
That could work for a deal involving Joe Ryan
You have come undone, Fernando.
I posted above, he only moves to second if down the stretch Mayer is not hitting and all the lefty OFers are and need to get at bats.
Reds could use him big time but they don’t have the cajones to make that trade.
Reds
Red sox would only move him for a top of the rotation mlb starting pitcher…nobody wanting to contend this year can afford that…sox have one of the best farms they dont need your prospects
Preller is on record saying the Padres need a bat or two, not a LF. Sheets has a 127 OPS+ since taking over F/T in LF. Padres have no need at that position unless that player has a bat that is a significant improvement over Sheets. Duran is not that player.
Strangely enough, Duran actually has better defensive stats in CF than LF. Speculation is that he sees the ball better off the bat in CF.
Padres don’t need Duran in CF. They have Merrill who is a plus defender and at his best is as good of a hitter as Duran. Not to mention 6 years younger and under more years of team control.
Come on you know better than that
Sheets has done a great job at the plate, but he is a DH. Duran would be a great upgrade, defensively over Sheets and lengthen the lineup considerably in the style that the Padres play.
Sheets is playing roughly league average defense in LF while hitting better than Duran. The Padres have no need in LF.
The Padres have said that they NEED a RHB. They need a bat with power. Duran is neither as good a hitter as Sheets has been for the Padres nor a RHB nor does he have good power.
Duran is a slightly above average LHB that has great speed and plays good OF defense. Duran is not a fit for the Padres. Rafaela would be a better one, but even less likely the Red Sox would trade him.
Very few fits out there. Taylor Ward maybe? Luis Robert if the White Sox are willing to pay all but a tiny portion of his remaining contract? Brent Rooker? That’s about it that might be available.
The Sox won’t trade Duran unless it brings back meaningful help for this season. The Devers trade didn’t, it was just a salary dump, and the fans won’t stand a similar trade of Duran given that the Sox, despite being in fourth place, have a meaningful chance to make the playoffs. If one could conclude that Alcantara is an ace again, Miami might make sense, as even the Marlins could afford Duran.
DO NOT TRADE DURAN
Here is my simple blockbuster trade: The Reds trade Chase Burns for Duran. One for one. Easy peasy.
Not sure the Reds would go for that
Out of the named teams the ONLY one I see as a possibility are the Phillies.
1) Duran was drafted by Dombrowski when he was with the Red Sox and he didn’t trade him. That says a lot if Dombrowski won’t trade you as a prospect.
2) The Phillies could really use him
3) The Phillies are getting Nola back. They may pick up a swing man but Dombrowski really wants a guy I can see him dealing Abel and Painter to get Duran.
If Sox are even marginally in the playoff race (which they are at the moment), I don’t see him getting traded. He is really the spark this team needs.
I see Wong getting traded.
Wong has a better chance of being DFA’d. He’s useless.
This guy seems like the next Andrew Benntendi, so maybe he should go to the Royals where he can be good before someone overpays him to be a free agent bust.
The Braves.
The New York Mets should because Tyrone Taylor has proven himself a valuable outfielder but as a spare outfielder, and because Jose Siri is one big hack at the plate.
Padres get everybody available at all times. They will offer their entire farm system to get him, too.
Why would the sox accept anyone’s prospects they have arguably the best prospects already and no room to play them
“What’s a farm system?” – padres fan.
Yeah I think we call it a trade system.
I’d love to see the Reds go after him.
I seriously doubt he gets traded, unless it’s a haul.
Mariner don’t need a bat. Randy has been smoking the ball lately. Same with Calzone. Now Julio should be in the All-star Hr hitting contest, maybe he’ll find his HR swing, cuz for the last 30 games – HE’S lost it!
Click bait article by Deeds. Go figure.
If you clowns don’t stop this narrative, I will stop paying you to produce this horsecrap.
Duran. Isn’t. Going. Anywhere.
Would love to see him with the Cardinals
Sox aren’t gonna move Duran unless someone offers an SP2 or SP3 with upside with a minimum of 2yrs control after this season… I dont know if that team exists. Abreu is far more likely to be the guy traded imo
my vote is for the inevitable mystery team!
NONE, stop pushing this crap!
Jarren Duran entered Friday’s game with an OPS+ of 107 while the Seattle outfield had Randy Arozarena (133), Julio Rodriguez (102), Luke Raley (106) and Dominic Canzone (143).
Duran is no guaranteed upgrade.
Likewise, the Padres OF is Tatis, Merrill, and Gavin Sheets (OPS+ 114).
The Pads need a RH hitter with slug…DH or C
Was trying to understand how the takes by the writer could be so bad, so off-base, then I saw the name. Nick Deeds. Knew I could safely ignore everything after that.
Padres are not in the market for Duran, they are in the market for a BAT as Preller said. DH, LF, catcher, even SS. The Padres are looking for a RHB with power first and foremost. What position he plays is secondary.
Since Sheets moved to LF they do not have a hole there at all. In fact, they have a guy that has a 130 OPS+ since being moved to LF on a full time basis 30 games ago.