Padres Interested in Red Sox Outfielder in Potential Blockbuster Trade: Report

The San Diego Padres are suffering from a season-long drought in offensive performance in left field. Through Sunday, they ranked second-to-last in MLB with a .530 OPS from their left fielders.

General manager AJ Preller has been active already. The Padres traded Connor Joe to the Cincinnati Reds on May 9 for right-handed pitcher Andrew Moore and cash. They placed Oscar Gonzalez on waivers so he could sign with a team in Japan.

Not suprisingly, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported last week that the Padres were exploring the market for an upgrade at the position — perhaps sooner rather than later, with Jason Heyward and Gavin Sheets recovering from injuries.

Now, via Dennis Lin of The Athletic, we can pencil in a name at the top of the Padres' wish list: Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran.

According to Lin, the Padres expressed interest in Duran before signing Jurickson Profar as a free agent in February 2024. Duran, 28, led the American League in doubles and triples last season while making his first All-Star team.

But his production has fallen off somewhat this season, with a .264 batting average, .312 on-base percentage and .406 slugging percentage in 60 games. His 100 OPS+ represents the league average.

In parts of five seasons, Duran is slashing .270/.324/.448. The Corona native was a seventh-round draft pick out of Long Beach State in 2018. He's stolen 80 bases in 96 attempts at the major-league level, and could add a dimension of speed to the Padres' starting lineup.

Duran is owed $3.85 million this season, and the Red Sox hold an $8 million club option for next season. The Padres' reported interest suggests they deem those figures affordable.

Duran's cost in prospect capital remains to be determined. He's three years away from free-agent eligibility, but a package of lower-level prospects might be enough to seal the deal for a Red Sox team loaded with talent at Triple-A.

Outfielder Roman Anthony, the consensus number-1 prospect in baseball, has been tearing up Triple-A pitching and could soon force his way into Boston's outfield rotation. Barring injuries, the roster logjam could motivate Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow to make a trade. Lin's report suggests the Padres are hoping so, at least.

Heyward landed on the 10-day injured list May 24 with an oblique strain, and spent April 19-29 on the IL with knee inflammation. His replacement in left field, Sheets, exited Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates after crashing into a wall.

Manager Mike Shildt said Sheets was being evaluated for multiple injuries after the game.