Trade Idea Sends Red Sox Jarren Duran to Mariners for 3.03 ERA Starter

Hembekides proposed an idea that would send starting pitcher Luis Castillo, relief pitcher Matt Brash, and fifth-ranked Mariners prospect, catcher Harry Ford, for just Duran.

While Duran is a great player, there are some limitations to his game. His 2024, where he accumulated an incredible 8.7 WAR, is unlikely to be repeated. While he's under team control through the 2028 season, he is already 28 years old.

Hembekides' trade idea would net the Red Sox three players under team control through at least 2028, including a top 100 prospect and an All-Star starting pitcher. All for just Duran.

Brash is 27 years old and will be in arbitration years from 2026 to 2028. Castillo is under contract for $24.15 million through 2027, with a vesting option for 2028. Ford is a top 100 prospect with at least six more years of control left.

Brash has a 0.00 ERA through his first 9.1 innings of work in 2025. In 2024, he threw in a MLB most 78 games, pitching 70.2 innings with 107 strikeouts and a 3.06 ERA. 

Castillo, in his ninth season in the Major Leagues, has a 4-3 record with a 3.03 ERA. He's struck out 55 batters and walked 23 over the course of 68.1 innings pitched for Seattle. The three-time All-Star is having another solid start to the year and would be a huge boost to the Red Sox rotation if traded.

Ford, meanwhile, is a 22-year-old catcher who is MLB's 64th-ranked prospect. He has a .321 batting average in Triple-A with six home runs and 28 RBIs, along with an impressive .921.

Overall, the Red Sox would land multiple MLB-ready pitchers for the next three seasons, along with a young catcher prospect who's ranked fifth in the Mariners system. All for just Duran. 

While a great player for the Red Sox, with Anthony waiting in the wings in Triple-A, this haul for Duran would be a hard deal to turn down. Hembekides' trade idea is a wild one, and it would set the Red Sox up for success in 2025 and into the future.