The Boston Red Sox are reportedly exploring the idea of trading outfielder Jarren Duran this season.

That rumor comes with the emergence of Roman Anthony in the outfield as well as productive play from Wilyer Abreu and Ceddenne Rafaela. But it could make a lot of sense for the Red Sox if they’re able to land a haul of prospects and big league talent in return.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently called Duran the “best match” in a massive trade with the San Diego Padres this season. The 28-year-old outfielder has three more years of team control on his contract before hitting free agency.

“No player and team have been linked as strongly as Duran and the Padres — and that’s without any knowledge of how the Red Sox intend to handle the deadline,” Passan wrote. “Roman Anthony’s emergence has put Boston in a position to float Duran and Wilyer Abreu in trade discussions, and whether it’s now or over the winter, Boston wants to use its surplus of bats to fill voids elsewhere.

“Left field in San Diego is among the biggest voids in the game. The Padres have tried eight players in left this season, and collectively they’re barely having an OPS of over .600. A Duran-Jackson Merrill-Fernando Tatis Jr. outfield would be a factory of dynamism that would be under team control through the end of the 2028 season.”

The Padres make the most sense as a fit for Duran.

The 28-year-old outfielder would enter San Diego and take over in left field for the next three years. An outfield with Duran, Jackson Merrill, and Fernando Tatis Jr. is electric and exactly what baseball needs right now.

But the Padres will need to cut ties with some top prospects, or closer Robert Suarez, in order to pull Duran away from the Red Sox.

At the end of the day, Boston doesn’t have to trade him unless it makes the team better right now and in the long run.