The San Diego Padres have coveted one of the Boston Red Sox’s biggest stars since he was still an unknown variable.

Before his breakout 2024 season, the Padres were interested in trading for Jarren Duran. This summer, they seemed to be all over him as the Red Sox juggled four outfielders, but couldn’t pry him loose at the trade deadline.

It didn’t make sense for the Red Sox to trade Duran to the Padres, because they were in the middle of a playoff push and San Diego didn’t have much to offer that would help the big-league club. Will that calculus change this winter?

Insider predicts Red Sox-Padres trade involving Duran

“San Diego president of baseball operations A.J. Preller has coveted Duran for several years and he’ll finally get the deal done this offseason because it makes sense for the Red Sox, too,” Smith wrote. “Boston has four outfielders, and although they could make it work, trading one of them seems likely.”

Entering his age-29 season, Duran’s value will be tough to gauge. He had a very good season still, posting 4.6 WAR, but it was still a predictable drop-off from his electrifying 2024 campaign. He’s also got three years left until free agency, but it’s hard to say how his all-out approach, as commendable as it is, will age into his 30s.

With a long offseason ahead, the Red Sox would have plenty of time to figure out an optimal package from the Padres for a Duran trade, possibly even accepting top prospects and flipping some of their own prospects to acquire major league talent elsewhere.

It’s only a prediction, though, and even though Smith covers this Red Sox team closely, there are so many outcomes on the table that predictions could wind up well off base. This is one of the most fascinating offseasons yet in Boston, because no one truly knows what the Red Sox will do.

This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/red-sox/onsi as Red Sox Predicted To Trade All-Star To Padres In Long-Awaited Blockbuster.