Padres Reportedly Interested In Red Sox's Jarren Duran Amid Trade Rumors

Boston could make a surprise move

Scott Neville | Feb 9, 2024

Padres Reportedly Interested In Red Sox's Jarren Duran Amid Trade Rumors /

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Boston Red Sox

Will the Boston Red Sox trade one of their most promising young, controllable players before spring training?

Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran had a breakout season a year ago, which has led to opposing teams calling for his services. We now know at least one suitor involved in the pursuit.

"(The Red Sox) have a deep stash of outfield prospects, which has teams asking about Jarren Duran," the New York Post's Jon Heyman wrote Thursday. "The (San Diego) Padres, seeking a lefty-hitting outfielder, are interested.

Duran hit .295 with 44 extra-base hits including eight home runs, 40 RBIs and a .828 OPS (121 OPS+) in 102 games before suffering a season-ending toe injury last season. He also stole 24 bases in 26 attempts and notably improved defensively from a year ago.

The 27-year-old has five more seasons of team control before reaching free agency and appears to be on the brink of solidifying himself as a cornerstone of the Red Sox's budding core.

Boston has a deep outfield group that includes Masataka Yoshida, Tyler O'Neill, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela and Rob Refsnyder with Roman Anthony rising up the pipeline. The Red Sox also are expected to add a right-handed bat with positional versatility, there is a good chance that player is an outfielder.

With that said, Duran has a chance to be the best player in that group. The Red Sox should be reluctant to make a move involving Duran, especially with the Padres -- who do not have a controllable starter on the trade block.

The Seattle Mariners or Miami Marlins -- each of which has multiple young, controllable budding frontline starters -- would be much better fits to trade Duran, who could be a sell-high option if he flames out.

However, with the entire focus of the franchise on the future, trading Duran before he reaches his prime feels premature.

More MLB: Red Sox Deemed Potential Surprise Suitor For Six Remaining Marquee Free Agents

Published Feb 9, 2024

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu