🛑 MAJOR REPORT: The Red Sox are reportedly eyeing a blockbuster trade involving Jarren Duran, but the stakes are high. Who’s the intriguing starting pitcher on the other side, and what does this mean for Boston’s future?

Red Sox Tabbed to Trade Jarren Duran for Intriguing Starting Pitcher

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Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox.

The Boston Red Sox have four outfielders for three spots. Two of them, Ceddane Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu, both won Gold Gloves in 2025. They also have prospect Roman Antony and Jarren Duran.

Just what Craig Breslow decides to do this offseason in terms of moving one of his outfielders is a question surrounding Boston. Anthony and Rafaela are not going anywhere, which leaves Duran and Abreu as one of the likely options. Abreu’s Gold Glove this year was his second straight.

When it comes to trade rumors, the one name that seems to come up the most is Duran. His name came up at the trade deadline in July, but the Red Sox held onto him. Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report came up with some wild Duran trade destinations, and one was an interesting one that would fill a need Breslow has.

Jarren Duran Mock Trade Acquires the Red Sox a Starting Pitcher

Breslow already pulled off one trade this offseason in acquiring right-hander Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals. That really doesn’t solve the Red Sox’s need for a No. 2 pitcher behind Garrett Crochet. A proposed trade by Rymer with the Miami Marlins would fill that. Rymer proposed a trade that sent Duran to the Marlins for right-hander Edward Cabrera and catcher Joe Mack.

“The Marlins darn near made the playoffs this year, and they might have pulled it off if they’d had a functional offense, Rymer wrote.

“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.’

Duran would help the Marlins’ offense in multiple ways. He can use the whole park. He had 16 home runs, but he had 41 doubles and 13 triples, one shy of his career-high 14 in 2024. Duran swiped 24 bases in 30 attempts. Defensively, he has an above-average arm and can cover a lot of ground.

Red Sox Could Use Edward Cabrera Behind Garrett Crochet

As for finding another top-of-the-rotation arm, Boston saw Dylan Cease of the San Diego Padres land with the Toronto Blue Jays. The other big-name arm is Framber Valdez of the Houston Astros, and it is unlikely he ends with the Red Sox. That’s where Cabrera comes in.

“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,” Rymer wrote.

Carbrera and Sandy Alcantara headlined a promising Miami rotation last season. Cabrera went over 100 innings in 2025 for the first time in his career in 26 starts. He worked 137.2 innings with a 3.53 ERA and 150 strikeouts to 48 walks. He does have an injury history, but he has three years of team control remaining.

If Boston moves an outfielder, it feels like it’ll be Duran. The Marlins offer an interesting option for Breslow, and this would be a trade that makes a lot of sense for both teams.

Scott Roche Scott Roche covers college football and the NFL for Heavy.com and has three decades of sports writing, covering everything from college to professional sports. More about Scott Roche