The Boston Red Sox rejected the San Diego Padres’ package of starting pitcher Dylan Cease, No. 2 prospect Ethan Salas and an unnamed prospect for All-Star outfielder Jarren Duran, per MassLive’s Sean McAdam.
McAdam clarified the unnamed prospect was not No. 1 Padres prospect and No. 3 MLB prospect Leo De Vries.
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The Padres have been sniffing around Duran for months to solve their outfield problems, as they haven’t had a real left fielder since Jason Heyward’s injury in May. They released Heyward shortly after reinstating him from the IL.
“Similarly, the Red Sox have signaled interest in Dylan Cease, who would be a rental,” McAdam wrote. “The Padres, in their never-ending quest to acquire Duran, proposed a package involving Cease, catching prospect Ethan Salas and another prospect (not shortstop Leo de Vries) for Duran, which was quickly rejected.”
The package the Padres put together is admittedly pretty weak, as the Padres offered a slumping pitcher with a few months left on his contract and a catcher who has had a subpar season in Double-A and has been out since April with injury. Duran also has three more years of club control and is just 28, so it will likely take more for the postseason-hopeful Red Sox to part with their All-Star.
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The Padres will likely continue to pursue Duran, as they need to address their glaring outfield problem before the end of the month. With designated hitter Gavin Sheets manning left, the Padres have had to make some shuffles to their lineup, none of which have been especially effective.
Padres left fielders rank in the bottom five in MLB this season in on-base percentage, slugging percentage and wRC+.
The Friars only have six days to get their blockbuster deal done, and it’s clear the Red Sox will want a much bigger haul than is being offered.
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