Why Red Sox Could Still Trade Jarren Duran After Season, Per Insider

Hint: it's because someone REALLY wants him

Jul 26, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) watches batting practice prior to a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran survived the trade deadline. Will he survive the offseason as well?

Duran is a former All-Star, having another very productive season, and is still under team control for three more years. Under most circumstances, a player like that would never be on the trade block, especially for a team that believes it can be a perennial playoff threat for the next decade.

However, with three outfielders on their roster who are younger and farther away from free agency, the Red Sox might be in the unique position to trade Duran, which is why his name spread like wildfire before the July 31 deadline.

Red Sox's Jarren Duran likely a top Padres target

It was well-known that the San Diego Padres were enamored with Duran, and the general manager, AJ Preller, has a well-developed reputation for making the boldest moves of any team to acquire star players via trade.

So while Preller wasn't able to land Duran this time around, Jon Heyman of the New York Post had the 28-year-old on his list of top offseason trade candidates, specifically mentioning the Padres as the top potential suitor.

"There’s no urgency to trade him, but the Padres are unlikely to give up," wrote Heyman.

The Padres traded for outfielder Ramon Laureano and first baseman/outfielder Ryan O'Hearn from the Baltimore Orioles instead of Duran, but the latter is a free agent and the former works best as a platoon bat.

Here's where things get complicated, though: What do the Padres have to trade the Red Sox that's of any interest? Their starting pitching is a bit of a mess, with Dylan Cease and Michael King both headed to free agency, and their farm system is decimated after trading No. 1 prospect Leo DeVries and a boatload of other talented youngsters at this deadline.

Boston could very well be interested in moving Duran, but only if they're getting something back that can help them win in 2026. If it's for a controllable starting pitcher like the Minnesota Twins' Joe Ryan, the logic is easy to follow. If it's for the rest of the Padres' prospects Preller can scrape together, it's not.

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