MLB Trade Rumors on Jarren Duran, Luis Robert Jr. and More Ahead of MLB Home Run Derby
All-Star Week is upon MLB and, as the league celebrates the best and brightest from the first-half of the 2025 season, front offices are doing their diligence on players who may be available for potential trades as each team seeks to improve amid championship aspirations.
One such a player is Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, who has been the subject of trade talks for what feels like the last two months.
What is the current status of the 28-year-old center fielder, and who else joins him as a potential trade target ahead of the deadline?
Let's take a look with this collection of insider reports.
The Latest on Duran
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Last year's All-Star Game MVP, Duran has been the subject of trade talks for weeks now, even as Boston crawls and scratches its way back into playoff contention and one NL West team is eyeing the center fielder.
Sean McAdam of MassLive reported that the San Diego Padres and general manager A.J. Preller are in "relentless" pursuit of the 28-year-old.
The Red Sox may not be eager to ship out a player who is beloved in the locker room for his leadership but given the eager pursuit of Preller and Co., the potential haul in return for the player may be too good to pass up. The Padres would, after all, likely have to give up a top prospect or two to wrest Duran from the Red Sox.
If the team can get a deal done, San Diego would be getting a talented, fiery, passionate young star sporting a slash line of .258/.318/.431, with eight home runs and 50 RBI through the first half.
He would immediately upgrade the outfield for the Padres, improving the left side while teaming with Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill to make one of the most dynamic young units in all of baseball.
A speedy lead-off hitter with the power to go yard every time he steps to the plate, Duran could inject even more offense to a team with the real potential to battle Los Angeles for the NL West crown.
All of that adds up to a player that fits the Padres like a glove and is rightly the object of Preller's attention and affection in this potential trade market.
A Red-Hot Market for Luis Robert Jr.
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Statistically, Luis Robert Jr. is playing some of the worst baseball of his young career but that has not stopped eight teams from showing interest in the center fielder as the trade deadline approaches.
Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported that eight teams, including the Mets, Mariners, Dodgers, Padres, and Royals, have expressed interest in acquiring the 2023 AL All-Star.
Robert is hitting just .190 with nine home runs and 35 RBI, but he is has stolen 22 bases in 28 attempts and his patience at the plate has resulted in 31 walks at the midway point of the season, already the most of his career.
That he beats up on left-handed pitchers (.285/.403/.484) and has an OPS of .886 against them makes him an intriguing addition to teams with powerful lefties in their division. The Mets, in particular, are an intriguing fit in that their top competition comes from Philadelphia, which touts Christopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez in their starting lineup, both of whom are left-handed throwers.
Adding Robert would give them a potentially dynamic hitter who can function more as a complimentary piece rather than carrying the weight of a bad franchise on his shoulders.
Regardless of which team he potentially ends up on, his perceived low value according to analysts and fans alike does not appear to be influencing how much front offices would like to have a player of his potential n their rosters.
A's Have No Interest in Trading Brent Rooker
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At 41-57, one could consider the first half of the 2025 season a successful one for the Athletics, who have overcome the unenviable task of fielding a professional team in an minor league ballpark, and a roster of younger and inexperienced players, such as breakout star Nick Kurtz.
One veteran, who has seen the ups and downs in the organization and will compete in Monday's Home Run Derby is Brent Rooker.
The 30-year-old left fielder is slashing to the rate of .279/.355/.505 and has homered 20 times while driving in 54 runs.
It is no surprise that a player of that hard-hitting ability would potentially be on the radar of teams looking to bolster their lineup with a power hitter. Regardless of who is beating down the door, the A's do not appear inclined to listen, with writer Jim Bowden of The Athletic reporting that the Athletics' front office is not interested in dealing Rooker.
Nor should they be.
Rooker is a leader on the team and the type of presence any young squad should want in the clubhouse. He knows what it is like to play at a high level, has developed into a fan-favorite in the bay area and, now, Sacramento. That he is appearing in the Home Run Derby is indicative of the impact he has made on his team and in baseball at large.
Trading him away would be demoralizing for a fan base that is clinging to reasons no to give up on their favorite team, regardless of the other questionable decisions made by owner John Fisher.
Holding onto him lets the fans know that the team, for what it's worth after years of financial restraints, committed to turning things around and knows Rooker is a big part of that process.
