Red Sox Could Make 'Aggressive' Jarren Duran Trade, Per Insider

Where might Duran be headed?

Sep 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Boston Red Sox star Jarren Duran has to be resigned to the fact that his name will be in trade rumors as long as he's still on the team.

After he was a widely-discussed candidate to be moved at the July trade deadline, Duran stayed put, but struggled for the Red Sox in their brief postseason appearance. He's still a very talented player, though, and the reason he might get traded is that Boston would be getting something good back.

Is it possible Duran could still be traded to a team the Red Sox were in trade talks with right up until the 6 p.m. ET deadline on July 31?

Insider suggests Duran-Joe Ryan trade

Sep 6, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan (41) delivers a pitch against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

On Wednesday, insider Ian Browne of MLB.com suggested that Duran could be the linchpin of a trade package to acquire Joe Ryan, the All-Star starting pitcher from the Minnesota Twins, to be their new No. 2 behind ace Garrett Crochet.

"Given that the Red Sox have the young, exciting trio of Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu in the outfield, Duran is a player they could package in a trade to fill another need," Browne wrote.

"If the Twins make starter Joe Ryan available via trade, expect Boston to be aggressive."

Ryan, 29, put up a 4.5-WAR season on the mound -- almost identical to what Duran did in the field. He was on pace to be a borderline Cy Young Award candidate until the trade deadline, after which he tapered off a bit, which was understandable because his team traded away just about all of his fellow veterans.

Duran is under team control for one more year than Ryan is, but the Red Sox would still have to include other pieces in a trade, because starting pitching has become an exceptionally valuable commodity in the era of arm injuries.

While there's no guarantee at all that a Duran-for-Ryan swap happens, the fact that it's cropped up so many times before the offseason fully begins is certainly noteworthy. Boston needs someone of Ryan's caliber, and has the trade chips to make something happen.

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