Guardians Linked to Jarring All-Star Trade With Red Sox

The Cleveland Guardians may be five games behind the Detroit Tigers in the loss column for first place in the AL Central, but they are still right in the thick of the playoff hunt.

As a result, barring a collapse in the coming weeks, the Guardians shoud be buyers at the MLB trade deadline, but the question is, just how aggressive will Cleveland be?

The Guardians have historically been very conservative when it comes to swinging big midseason trades, so maybe we shouldn't expect much. However, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer feels that Cleveland could make a play for an All-Star: Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran.

The Red Sox have plummeted to 30-34 on the season and don't even resemble contenders, which could lead to Boston selling off some pieces between now and July 31.

Rymer thinks Duran could be on the move, and he has put together quite the package for the Guardians to acquire him: reliever Cade Smith, outfield prospect Jason Chourio and first base prospect Ralphy Velazquez.

"The center field and right field spots, specifically, have been a persistent and heavy anchor on the lineup's overall production," Rymer wrote. "This is especially true in 2025, wherein the Guardians rank last in OPS from center field (.495) and second-to-last in OPS from right field (.513). Duran would fit into the center field hole, and he could otherwise form a dynamite table-setting duo with Steven Kwan at the top of the lineup. Suffice it to say José Ramírez would love hitting behind them."

That package would be a steep price to play for Cleveland, especially considering that Duran is in the middle of a down year offensively (.274/.323/.423 slash line). However, 28-year-old is one season removed from an All-Star appearance, and he is under team control through 2028.

Last year, Duran registered an .834 OPS, totaling 21 home runs and 75 RBI. He also led the majors with 48 doubles and 14 triples and stole 34 bases. On top of that, he was beyond brilliant in the outfield, logging an eye-popping 23 defensive runs saved.

Duran hasn't been quite as dominant in 2025, but he would still obviously represent a massive upgrade for the Guardians, and they wouldn't have to worry about paying him for a while.

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