The San Diego Padres remain within striking distance of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West standings. At 35-24, the team is currently one game back but solidly in a Wild Card spot.
All-Stars Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, and Manny Machado led the Padres’ offense. However, Padres General Manager A.J. Preller knows the team has a weak spot that could be exposed in the postseason if they don’t fix it. While the Boston Red Sox appear to be a trade match, a new report says that may be unlikely.
The Padres May Not Have the Assets to Acquire Red Sox Star Jarren Duran
Left field is a clear weakness for the Padres. Primary left fielder Jason Heyward is only hitting .176 with a .494 OPS and is currently on the injured list with a strained oblique. Tyler Wade and Brandon Lockridge provide speed and defense, but no power. To that end, the Padres are assessing the trade market and are interested in acquiring Jarren Duran to fill the gap.
However, a report from local Boston media notes that trade talks between the Padres and Red Sox are unlikely to go far because the Padres don’t have the controllable pitching that the Red Sox are looking for in a Duran trade.
The report mentions that the Red Sox are not interested in acquiring top Padres pitchers Dylan Cease or Michael King as short-term rentals since they’re both free agents after the season and are unlikely to sign them to long-term deals.
Duran isn’t scheduled to hit free agency until 2029, when he may be slightly past his peak. These are Duran’s prime years, so it’s easy to see why the Red Sox are holding out for a deal that completely suits their needs.
Duran reached the next level last season, being named All-Star Game MVP and finishing in the top 10 of AL MVP voting. He hit 21 home runs, stole 34 bases, and scored 111 while playing Gold Glove-caliber outfield defense. He’s been more solid than a star this season as his speed remains among the best in baseball, but his power numbers are down.
Jarren Duran, last 44 games…
206 PA, .286/.330/.464, 27 R, 21 XBH, 4 HR, 8 SB#DirtyWaterpic.twitter.com/KeQgZ4vreu
— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) June 3, 2025
There’s a chance Duran could start hitting for power again this summer, considering he’s hitting the ball in the air more than he did last year and his 92 miles-per-hour exit velocity off the bat is a career-high. At 29-34, the Red Sox are already five games out of a Wild Card spot.
Pressure continues to mount for the team to call up Roman Anthony as soon as possible to join a crowded outfield mix that includes Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddane Rafaela, Rob Refsnyder, and, potentially, Masataka Yoshida.
It seems something probably has to give, but Duran won’t get traded to the Padres.