Red Sox’s Jarren Duran Called ‘Favorite Target’ For NL Powerhouse

The Boston Red Sox have one of the most interesting outfielders in baseball.

Jarren Duran does a little bit of everything. He hits for average, hits for power, has blazing speed, plays good defense, has become a fan-favorite in Boston, and is under team control for a few more years.

Lately, there have been trade rumors about him as Boston has a surplus of talented outfielders and it was reported that the San Diego Padres have some level of interest in him.

Boston currently has a 33-36 record with roughly six weeks to go until the July 31st trade deadline so there’s no guarantee the club will look to add. If it falls too far out of contention, maybe Boston will be open to selling off some talent. 

If that does become the case, The Athletic’s Jim Bowden called Duran his “favorite target” for San Diego.

"Favorite target: Jarren Duran," Bowden said. "The Padres have been trying to mix and match in left field since Jurickson Profar departed in free agency to the Braves. They would like to find a longer-term solution. Enter Duran, who last season led the AL in doubles and triples while hitting 21 homers and stealing 34 bases. He got off to a slow start this year but is batting .271 with 18 doubles, seven triples, four homers and 13 steals (Entering play on Tuesday). The Padres are again targeting Duran, league sources told The Athletic’s Dennis Lin, which makes sense considering the Red Sox have his replacement, Roman Anthony, the best prospect in baseball, ready to step in.

"However, Boston needs starting pitching help in return, and the Padres really don’t have that to offer. They could dangle their top prospects, but I’m not sure Boston would bite on that type of offer for Duran, who is under team control through 2028. A more realistic trading partner for San Diego could end up being the Angels with Taylor Ward, who has 18 homers and 45 RBIs, but he doesn’t get on base (.261 OBP) and profiles as an average type of player."