Red Sox Slugger Named Potential Fit For Phillies To Help Outfield Struggles

The Philadelphia Phillies have entered the All-Star break just half a game ahead of the New York Mets in the National League East, with this promising to be a tight race.

While it is nice to be in first place at this stage of the season for the Phillies, there is still a lot of work to be done. With the Atlanta Braves likely not going to be a threat, the division will come down to either Philadelphia or the Mets.

For the Phillies, while it has been a solid first half, there are some notable concerns once again about the roster.

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Like in 2024, the bullpen and the outfield continue to hold this team back. In the starting rotation, the unit has been electric. Zack Wheeler is an NL Cy Young candidate, and both Christopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez were deserving All-Stars this campaign.

Unfortunately, the bullpen behind them hasn’t been nearly good enough to instill any confidence that this is a group ready to win a World Series.

In the outfield, the lack of production offensively makes the lineup a lot shorter and finding an upgrade there is a pressing need.

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The Athletic writers (subscription required) recently wrote about the Phillies being a potential fit for Boston Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran at the trade deadline.

“There’s little reason for Boston to even entertain offers for Duran unless the return is substantial. His production has predictably fallen short of his 2024 breakout, but Duran remains a solidly above-average hitter with lots of speed and the ability to play center field.”

With the Red Sox storming up the American League East standings, their outlook in the second half might look different now. Coming into the All-Star break, there has been no hotter team than Boston, who are winners of 10 straight.

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Thanks to the amazing stretch, the Red Sox are now just three games back in the AL East. With the AL seemingly being wide open, Boston could look to flip the script and be buyers instead of sellers.

However, with a lot of contenders, they could elect to make some sort of trade with the Phillies that helps both teams improve for 2025. Philadelphia has a plethora of starting pitchers and some elite prospects that they could use in a hypothetical deal for Duran, which would make sense for the Red Sox.

Philadelphia is certainly in the need of some help for their outfield and talented slugger from the Red Sox would certainly fit a need. While trading him after their recent success seems unlikely, it isn’t impossible.

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