Red Sox-Astros Trade Ideas No Longer Make Sense for Boston

There was a reason this didn't work out in the first place

Aug 22, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) steals second base against the New York Yankees during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The mock trade machine was spinning fast and furious a few weeks ago for the Boston Red Sox, but it's hard to imagine it whirring back into full gear.

After being rumored as suitors for big-name infielders all offseason -- Ketel Marte, Nico Hoerner, and Isaac Paredes, to name a few -- the Red Sox settled on a deal for Caleb Durbin with the Milwaukee Brewers on Feb. 9. That probably should have been the end of any speculated trades involving standout infielders

However, on Tuesday, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer once again kicked the tires on a long-rumored deal this offseason -- Jarren Duran to the Houston Astros for Paredes. And at this point, the more you read into that possibility, the less it makes sense.

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Duran-to-Astros ship sailed (right?)

Aug 1, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran (16) slides into second base during the sixth inning against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

"Though his $8 million salary reportedly gives them pause, the Astros have been a speculative fit for Duran all offseason," Rymer wrote. "They remain a good landing spot for him on paper, as they need a left-handed-hitting outfielder who adds new elements (i.e., power and speed) to the offense.

"A Duran-for-Isaac Paredes swap isn't as likely now as it might have been a few weeks ago, but something to that effect might still work," Rymer added. "To wit, Caleb Durbin can play second base just as easily as he can play third in Boston."

Here's where that misses the mark: If you trade Duran for Paredes, you're effectively trading away the production you'd get from Duran and Marcelo Mayer in everyday roles for the production of Paredes and Masataka Yoshida. Plus, the Astros would get one extra year of Duran after Paredes' arbitration control expired.

It didn't make sense at the time, and for all the same reasons, it doesn't make sense now. If the Sox were willing to give up Duran at any point, they must have been asking for the moon from Houston in terms of the return they would have received on top of Paredes alone.

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