Could a Boston Red Sox team that entered the 2025 season with playoff aspirations become a seller ahead of the MLB trade deadline?
While it's still too early to make that determination, at least one of Boston's everyday starters is already drawing interest on the trade market: The San Diego Padres have Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran on their list of trade targets, The Athletic's Dennis Lin reported Monday.
San Diego's interest in Duran isn't surprising; the Padres reportedly had the 28-year-old outfielder on their radar before the 2024 season, when he earned his first All-Star nod while leading Major League Baseball in doubles and triples. San Diego looks like a serious contender at 33-24 but has a weakness in left field, ranking 29th in the majors with a combined .530 OPS at the position.
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SIGN UP HERE The case for Boston trading Duran revolves around top prospect Roman Anthony, who has been tearing it up in Triple-A but remains in Worcester with Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu currently manning the Red Sox' outfield.
If Boston feels it can sell high on Duran while freeing up an outfield spot for Anthony, that's certainly a path worth considering.
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What might work against a Duran-to-San Diego deal is the Padres' lack of elite prospects. Outside 18-year-old shortstop Leo De Vries -- the No. 3 overall prospect in MLB.com's rankings -- San Diego has just one other prospect in MLB.com's top 50: catcher Ethan Salas (No. 29 overall). So, if the Padres are unwilling to move De Vries for Duran, it might be hard putting together a trade package that Boston would accept.
The Red Sox 3.5 games out of a wild card spot at 29-32 with Triston Casas out for the season and Alex Bregman on the injured list due to a strained quad. If they don't show considerable improvement in June, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow should at least explore the possibility of selling ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, and Duran could be one of Boston's most valuable assets.
From the Red Sox' perspective, however, the Padres don't seem like an ideal trade partner.