Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran had a huge 2024 season, putting up 21 home runs and 34 stolen bases while being worth 6.7 Wins Above Replacement (WAR). The 28-year-old has gotten off to a slow start in 2025, putting up only four home runs with a .406 slugging percentage in 282 plate appearances.
As a left fielder, Duran is currently blocking Roman Anthony, who is considered the consensus top prospect in baseball. With Duran coming off an MVP-caliber season in 2024, he has the highest trade value among Red Sox outfielders, making him a natural fit to be moved if the team decides to make room for Anthony.
The San Diego Padres have emerged as a trade candidate for Duran. Both the Padres and Red Sox are playoff contenders, so any deal would have to provide assets that could help them win now. We could have a blockbuster trade soon.
Jarren Duran Makes Sense on the Padres
Padres beat writer Dennis Lin of The Athletic joined 97.3 The Fan to discuss the team’s potential interest in Duran.
Lin started by talking about the Padres’ clear need in left field. While Gavin Sheets has performed well, slugging 11 home runs in 54 games, this is a player who struggles defensively and is best deployed as a designated hitter.
Lin says the Red Sox could also be looking to sell high on Duran, a hitter in his late 20s who is blocking an elite prospect in Anthony. It would be a smart move for the Red Sox because they’d be dealing from a surplus to add value elsewhere on the roster while providing an opportunity to add an elite young talent.
.@dennistlin joined @BenAndWoods this morning to discuss his reporting on the Padres’ interest in trading for Red Sox LF Jarren Duran: pic.twitter.com/W9v9Sys4FI
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) June 2, 2025
Duran is under contract for a few more years, slated to hit free agency in 2029, which gives him a lot of value on the trade market. Lin stated that Padres general manager A.J. Preller would be unwilling to move elite prospect Leo De Vries in a Duran deal.
The more likely asset to be moved to bring in Duran would be a pitcher like Dylan Cease or Michael King. Not only would this help the Red Sox win now, but it would allow the Padres to get something in return for a pitcher who could leave in free agency.
Cease is a free agent after the 2025 season, while King can also exercise an option to enter free agency after this year. Both Cease and King are prolific strikeout pitchers who can be a frontline starter for any team. Yu Darvish is expected to return soon, which could help offset the loss of either pitcher in a hypothetical trade scenario for Duran.
In this way, the Padres and Red Sox are perfect trade partners in a potential Duran-for-Cease-or-King trade.