Red Sox-Padres Blockbuster Remains Strong Possibility, Per MLB Insider

The buzz connecting Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran and the San Diego Padres is getting too loud to ignore.

Duran is a star left fielder when he's on his game, and no team needs a left fielder more than the Padres. San Diego also has an extremely aggressive general manager, A.J. Preller, who has a panache for making blockbusters come together at the trade deadline.

However, the Red Sox know Duran's worth, even if they have the talent in their outfield to move forward without him. He's a 28-year-old who's been an All-Star and has 3 1/2 years of cheap control remaining on his rookie contract. And they would want talent that can help them win now to relinquish that control, which the Padres don't seem to have in spades.

However, ESPN's Jeff Passan wrote Thursday that a Duran-Padres trade remains very much within the realm of possibility, pointing to Preller's determination as evidence while postulating that Boston could acquire a two-time All-Star closer in such a deal.

"No player and team have been linked as strongly as Duran and the Padres -- and that's without any knowledge of how the Red Sox intend to handle the deadline. Roman Anthony's emergence has put Boston in a position to float Duran and Wilyer Abreu in trade discussions, and whether it's now or over the winter, Boston wants to use its surplus of bats to fill voids elsewhere," wrote Passan.

"The Padres might need to get creative -- beyond shortstop Leo De Vries (who's believed to be off-limits) and catcher Ethan Salas, their farm system is middling -- but nobody does creativity like GM A.J. Preller. And whether that means facilitating a deal through a third team or including one of their high-leverage relievers like closer Robert Suárez, San Diego is willing to go places most other organizations would never consider."

Suárez, who was recently named to the All-Star team for the second year in a row, possesses 100-mile-per-hour heat and would make Boston's late-game bullpen management a lot easier. But he's also slated for free agency unless he accepts a two-year player option, and relievers don't provide nearly as much value as everyday outfielders.

Still, at some point, the Red Sox need to clear their outfield logjam. That might not happen at this year's trade deadline, but even if it's pushed to the winter, Duran now seems to be the leader in the clubhouse to be moved.

And if it's going to happen at the deadline, it's going to be a result of a GM like Preller blowing the Red Sox front office away with an offer.