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Cooking Up Red Sox OF Jarren Duran Trade Packages amid MLB Trade Rumors
The Boston Red Sox recently made a trade for Sonny Gray, and they didn't even have to subtract from their surplus of outfielders to make it happen.
The question now is whether the Red Sox will move an outfielder, which seems less like an "if" and more like a "when." The buzz right now specifically concerns Jarren Duran, the MVP of the 2024 All-Star Game.
He was popular in trade rumors throughout the summer, and his name has surfaced again in separate reports from Alex Speier of The Boston Globe and Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan of ESPN. The latter posits that the Red Sox "can hold out for a big return" on Duran, who they value as a seven-win player. The 29-year-old also won't be a free agent until after 2028.
The Red Sox are currently on the hunt for a middle-of-the-order bat, and they still need stability in their rotation after Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello and Gray. A Duran trade would most likely solve the latter, as it's hard to imagine a team trading a middle-of-the-order hitter for a guy who's more of the leadoff type.
With this in mind, let's pitch eight trade proposals for Duran and ponder which team would say no.
Seattle Mariners
1 of 8
Trade Proposal: Seattle Mariners get LF/CF Jarren Duran; Boston Red Sox get RHP Bryce Miller, 2B Michael Arroyo
Why It Works
The Mariners never really found an answer at the leadoff spot this season, and the problem got so bad that manager Dan Wilson eventually panicked and swapped out Randy Arozarena for Julio Rodríguez in the middle of the ALCS.
A trade for Duran would make things simple for Wilson. He's a decent enough OBP guy with lots of speed and plenty of extra-base power, as he's one of only three hitters with at least 150 extra-base hits and 50 stolen bases over the last two seasons. For a Mariners team that is trying to be more dynamic on offense, he's perfect.
Boston, meanwhile, would get back Seattle's most valuable pitcher from the 2024 season, plus an infield prospect who reminds B/R's Joel Reuter of Howie Kendrick.
Who Says No?
Probably both sides, to be honest.
The Mariners have put up strong resistance to trading one of their starters for a hitter, including when the Red Sox came calling with Triston Casas in hand last winter. And while the Red Sox wanted Miller then, he wasn't coming off a season marred by an elbow bone spur like he is now.
Miami Marlins
2 of 8
Trade Proposal: Miami Marlins get LF/CF Jarren Duran; Boston Red Sox get RHP Edward Cabrera, C Joe Mack
Why It Works
The Marlins darn near made the playoffs this year, and they might have pulled it off if they'd had a functional offense.
This is where Duran would come in, with his primary role being to make Miami's offense less reliant on its collective bat-to-ball skill. Its .250 batting average was better than the MLB norm this year, but it only mattered so much next to below-average marks for OBP and SLG.
As a righty with a high-90s sinker and a mid-90s changeup, Cabrera ought to tickle the fancy of Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, a former finesse lefty who now values velocity and stuff.
For his part, Mack could be the catching prospect Boston gave up when it traded Kyle Teel to Chicago in the Garret Crochet blockbuster.
Who Says No?
This is another one that isn't quite perfect for either side, but it might be the Red Sox who would have more cause to object.
Cabrera is talented, but he also has a volatile profile by way of past issues with injuries and control problems. And given he's 27 years old, he likely is who he is at this point.
Los Angeles Dodgers
3 of 8
Trade Proposal: Los Angeles Dodgers get LF/CF Jarren Duran; Boston Red Sox get RHP Emmet Sheehan
Why It Works
The Dodgers ultimately made it back-to-back World Series championships anyway, but their outfield this year was just kind of...bad.
Teoscar Hernández only gives you offense, while Tommy Edman is more of a utility type and Andy Pages is the kind of guy who probably should be a fourth outfielder. As a proper everyday star who would also bring some badly needed athleticism to Los Angeles' lineup, Duran is the ideal upgrade.
Sheehan, who turned 26 on November 15, would be a block of clay for the Red Sox to mold into something special. He's controllable through 2029, and under his hood this year were chase, whiff and strikeout rates that were in the 90th percentile or better.
Who Says No?
Given what happened the last time the Red Sox traded a star outfielder to Los Angeles, probably the whole city of Boston would object to this one.
And this time, the team might agree. Sheehan is another project pitcher, after all, and it just isn't a good idea for any team with World Series aspirations to be willingly sending All-Stars to the Dodgers.
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Philadelphia Phillies
4 of 8
Trade Proposal: Philadelphia Phillies get LF/CF Jarren Duran; Boston Red Sox get RHP Andrew Painter
Why It Works
MLB Pipeline has Painter ranked as the No. 3 pitching prospect in the entire league, so there's no point denying this proposal has "Whoa, they went there" energy.
Yet with Zack Wheeler potentially making his way back to the Phillies' rotation by May 2026, you can squint and see a pitching surplus in Philadelphia right now.
The Phillies have no such surplus in the outfield, and acquiring Duran to play out there would allow them to get younger while still maintaining a dynamic offense.
As for the Red Sox, the idea would be to not worry about the 5.40 ERA Painter had at Triple-A this year. He's still only 22, and his 6'7", 215-pound frame and plus grades for all his tools make him the ultimate projectable pitcher.
Who Says No?
It has to be the Phillies, right?
Though Wheeler shouldn't miss much time in 2026, you never want to assume any pitcher will make a smooth recovery from thoracic outlet surgery. And given his huge upside, trading Painter for Duran now would be akin to selling low on the former. He has a long way to go before he's another Grayson Rodriguez.
Pittsburgh Pirates
5 of 8
Trade Proposal: Pittsburgh Pirates get LF/CF Jarren Duran; Boston Red Sox get RHP Braxton Ashcraft, INF Jared Triolo
Why It Works
This isn't complicated. The Pirates need to stop messing around and start making the most of Paul Skenes' prime, and that starts with fixing the offense.
The Bucs ranked last in scoring this year, with their left fielders posting a pitiful .223/.299/.325 slash line. They also got just a .312 OBP out of the leadoff spot, which was largely a case of Oneil Cruz's power-first profile being out of place.
Ashcraft would be a project for Boston, but one whose high-90s fastball and two swing-and-miss breaking balls could make him an effective starter. Triolo is a Gold Glove-winning defender who is badly needed on an infield that posted -21 Outs Above Average this season.
Who Says No?
Most likely the Red Sox, who can and should aim higher than Ashcraft if they're going to trade Duran to the Pirates.
To this end, that would mean asking for either Skenes or Bubba Chandler. And if the Red Sox were to do that, then it would be the Pirates telling them to go pound sand.
Cincinnati Reds
6 of 8
Trade Proposal: Cincinnati Reds get LF/CF Jarren Duran; Boston Red Sox get LHP Nick Lodolo, 2B Matt McLain
Why It Works
The Reds eked their way into the postseason, but their offense was overmatched all year and was thoroughly outclassed by the Dodgers in a Wild Card Series sweep.
Production out of left field was a particular sore spot to the tune of a .684 OPS, so installing Duran in that spot would make for an instant upgrade. And assuming Elly De La Cruz can stay healthy, he and Duran would figure to be one of the most electrifying offensive duos in all of MLB.
The Red Sox would get Lodolo on an upswing after a breakout 2025 season, in which he averaged a strikeout per inning with dramatically improved control. McLain would be a buy-low addition who'd give them another option at second base, as well as a right-handed bat that produced a 127 OPS-plus in 2023.
Who Says No?
This is a good question. The Reds can spare Lodolo and McLain if it means getting a player like Duran, and the package would be a two-birds-one-stone improvement for Boston's roster.
The bust potential might be too real for the Red Sox's liking, though. Lodolo is a 27-year-old with exactly one injury-proof season on his record, while McLain missed all of 2024 with injuries and didn't hit (74 OPS-plus) this year.
New York Mets
7 of 8
Trade Proposal: New York Mets get LF/CF Jarren Duran; Boston Red Sox get 1B/3B Mark Vientos, RHP Jonah Tong
Why It Works
The Mets didn't need a left fielder when the offseason began, but now they do after trading Brandon Nimmo to Texas for Marcus Semien.
That move was part of David Stearns' effort to improve the Mets' run prevention, and that's where we can get into another service Duran provides. He has 32 Defensive Runs Saved over the last two seasons, tied for second among all outfielders. He's also at least as good a hitter as Nimmo, and surely with more upside.
The Red Sox would be buying low on Vientos after his down year, with the hope being he could return to his 27-homer form of 2024. Yet the real prize would be Tong. He led the minors in strikeouts this year, and it's hard not to look at him and see Tim Lincecum.
Who Says No?
This is another tough one, as it would be a case of the Red Sox making a worthwhile bet on two players the Mets can afford to lose.
Right now, though, the timing is the problem. Vientos won't truly be expendable in Queens until the Mets re-sign Pete Alonso or perhaps replace him with Kyle Schwarber.
Kansas City Royals
8 of 8
Trade Proposal: Kansas City Royals get LF/CF Jarren Duran; Boston Red Sox get LHP Cole Ragans
Why It Works
This one is directly inspired by Speier's report. It quoted Royals general manager J.J. Picollo as saying Ragans is not "off limits," and also noted the Royals were interested in Duran over the summer.
The Royals need another offensive threat to help Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino carry the lineup. And they especially need one in the outfield, which produced an OPS in the .600s at all three spots this year.
It's imperative that any Royals outfielder be able to cover the huge stretch of grass at Kauffman Stadium, but that would be no problem for Duran. He isn't the best route-runner, but he has elite reaction time and plenty of closing speed.
For Boston, the appeal of Ragans would be getting a potential No. 1-B to pair with their No. 1-A in Garrett Crochet. Ragans was fourth in the AL Cy Young Award voting in 2024, and he fanned 98 batters in 61.2 innings even in a down season this year.
Who Says No?
Ragans has battled injuries for much of his pro career, including this year with a rotator cuff strain that sidelined him for three months. For the Red Sox, the sheer risk of trading Duran for him can't be ignored.
A steady everyday star for an injury-prone, yet elite pitcher doesn't sound like a bad deal in the abstract, however. And in this case, we're talking two players in their late 20s with exactly three years left until free agency.
In other words, maybe nobody says no.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
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