Of all the players rumored to be on the trade market, there might not be a surer one to be moved than Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran. It’s basic math: The Red Sox don’t have enough at-bats for all of Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony and Masataka Yoshida, doubly so if they add someone like Kyle Schwarber or Pete Alonso in free agency. Duran isn’t so good that he’s untouchable, but he’s good enough that his three remaining years of arbitration figure to have some value around the league.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, trading Duran or Abreu is less a matter of “if” than “when” at this point. But to whom? And for what? That’s what we set out to figure out belo
What should Red Sox be looking for in Jarren Duran deal?
The easier answer here is pitching. The Red Sox simply don’t have enough of it, either in the starting rotation or in the bullpen, and Craig Breslow has told anyone willing to listen that it’s his No. 1 priority this offseason. A co-ace alongside Garrett Crochet? Rotation depth to backfill the loss of Lucas Giolito? Another high-leverage option to pair with Aroldis Chapman and Garrett Whitlock? The answer should be “all of the above”.
Of course, that’s not the only priority; the uncertainty around Triston Casas’ status and a distinct lack of pop last season means that Boston could use another corner bopper, too, even if it does manage to bring back Alex Bregman on a long-term deal. A Duran deal won’t fill all of those holes on its own, but it doesn’t need to: With money to spend and a deep farm system to deal from, Boston has plenty of different paths checking off every item on Breslow’s to-do list.
Which teams figure to be in on Jarren Duran trade talks?
Kansas City Royals
No outfield was worse than Kansas City’s last season; the Royals put up a 70 wRC+ across all three positions, dead last in baseball by a country mile (yes, even worse than the Rockies). That needs fixing for this team to get back to the postseason, even if Jac Caglianone moves out to right field full time. And K.C. isn’t typically a big spender in free agency, making a trade the most likely avenue.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies are also desperate to revamp their outfield, with Harrison Bader and Max Kepler now free agents and Nick Castellanos having fully fallen over the age cliff. Top prospect Justin Crawford might be ready to win a job on Opening Day, and Brandon Marsh is still around, but that still leaves one position open and a desperate need for some more offensive punch. Barring an out-of-nowhere run at Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger, a Duran trade may be their best chance.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers ranked a surprising 23rd in outfield wRC+ this past season, with the Michael Conforto experiment a massive bust and Tommy Edman battling injury. Conforto is moving on, which opens up a hole in the corner opposite Teoscar Hernandez. There’s been plenty of smoke already around the Dodgers making a run at Tucker, but how likely is that after they balked at Juan Soto last winter? If they’d rather keep their powder (relatively) dry, Duran would make a lot of sense.
San Francisco Giants
Another trade with San Francisco, what could go wrong? Heliot Ramos and Jung Hoo Lee are coming off solid seasons, but the Giants still have a black hole in right field that Buster Posey needs to address if he wants to finally get this team back to the postseason. They figure to make runs at guys like Tucker and Bellinger, but the next time a big-time free agent signs in San Francisco will be the first in a long while.
Houston Astros
Houston’s righty-heavy lineup is desperate for some left-handed balance, and this outfield was a bit of a mess last year. Sure, there’s some positional logjam to worry about with Jose Altuve and Cam Smith, but right now Houston needs to add talent and worry about the rest later. If Jim Crane is loath to go back over the luxury tax again, dealing for Duran would be a great way to plug a hole while saving money for the looming rotation overhaul that needs to happen this winter.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Hey, don’t laugh: These are, apparently, not your older brother’s Pirates, with Pittsburgh insisting over and over again so far this offseason that it’s willing to get aggressive in acquiring offensive talent. Duran would be a great start, a third outfielder to start alongside Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds (Pittsburgh ranked just 27th in outfield wRC+ in 2025), and it wouldn’t even cost Bob Nutting all that much to do it. Plus, Ben Cherington knows Boston pretty well.
Building the ideal (realistic) Jarren Duran trade package for Boston
While there are plenty of teams that would be hypothetically interested in adding a player like Duran, actually finding a workable deal is easier said than done. The Astros and Giants have hardly anything of value to offer. The Dodgers don’t have a ton of movable pitching that would move the needle for Boston, and their best prospects are largely outfielders. The Phillies’ farm system is paper-thin behind Crawford, Andrew Painter and Aidan Miller, all of whom figure to be untouchable in these talks, and the only potential MLB name would be Alec Bohm — a weird fit considering Boston’s need for more power. The Pirates have pitching in spades, but do the Red Sox want Mitch Keller? And does Pittsburgh want to move Bubba Chandler or Seth Hernandez?
All of which narrows our list pretty quickly. And brings us to the one potential fit for a Duran deal:
I could see either fan base being a little miffed by this trade, which makes me think it’s the closest we might be able to come. Kansas City is moving Cole Ragans, and neither Seth Lugo nor Michael Wacha figure to move the needle much for Boston. Cameron isn’t the top-of-the-rotation guy Red Sox fans are likely hoping for, but he’s coming off an excellent rookie year with six seasons of control still left to go.
I considered trying to make a Vinnie Pasquantino return work, but why would the Royals give up a bat to acquire a bat, especially given Salvador Perez’s decline and Caglianone’s uncertainty? CarterJensen played himself into untouchable territory with his scorching start in the Majors this year, but Mitchell is still a very good prospect in his own right who could form one heck of a one-two punch with Carlos Narvaez in a year or two.
Again, Red Sox fans likely don’t love this return. But it’s harder to build a Duran deal than you might think given the specific teams who figure to be interested and what they’d realistically be willing to trade. It might just be time for Breslow to take a single rather than a homer and set about improving his team elsewhere.
