Padres reportedly interested in one Red Sox outfielder
The San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox have reportedly discussed trade options surrounding Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
"The Red Sox are still fielding offers on star closer Kenley Jansen and others," Heyman wrote. "They have a deep stash of outfield prospects, which has teams asking about Jarren Duran. The Padres, seeking a lefty-hitting outfielder, are interested."
The 27-year-old had a breakout season in 2023 before injuring his toe in August. The speedster slashed .295/.346/.482 with eight home runs and 40 RBI and was successful in 24-of-26 stolen base attempts.
The move makes plenty of sense for the Padres, as he will be arbitration-eligible in 2025 and isn't a free agent until after the 2028 season.
After trading away star outfielder Juan Soto and Trent Grisham to the Yankees, the Padres lack outfield depth. They only have two outfielders on their 40-man roster — Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jose Azocar. Trading for Duran would help alleviate the need for outfielders.
The Sox enter 2024 with an outfield group that includes Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Tyler O'Neill, Ceddanne Rafaela, Rob Refsnyder and Masataka Yoshida. Their No. 2 ranked prospect, outfielder Roman Anthony, is also on track to break into the big leagues in 2025.
There were no indications a deal was close as of Friday morning, but it is something to keep an eye on with spring training right around the corner.
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