Red Sox Insider Floats Explosive 3-Player Cole Ragans Trade With Royals

Would this package get the ball rolling?

Apr 13, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans (55) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | David Dermer-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox's rotation could be a finished product, or it could be set up perfectly for another blockbuster.

Having traded for Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo, the Red Sox have perhaps a dozen rotation options for the upcoming season. That could enable Boston to trade from their depth in both the outfield and rotation to try and land a true second ace to pair with Garrett Crochet.

There aren't too many starters who could conceivably still be available that would move the needle. However, one Red Sox insider thinks there's a package Boston could put together for the Kansas City Royals that would be of interest to both sides.

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Would Duran-Bello package work for Boston?

On Sunday, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe floated the idea of packaging outfielder Jarren Duran and starting pitcher Brayan Bello to get the Royals, who are also trying to compete for the playoffs in the coming years, to give up ace Cole Ragans.

"The Sox’ major league trade pieces make them intriguing partners for teams who likewise have players to deal but want to contend for the playoffs next season," wrote Healey. "... Where would Duran or Abreu plus Brayan Bello get the Red Sox with the Royals on Cole Ragans?"

This is one of the first instances we've seen of an insider theorizing that Bello could be traded, and it's made sense ever since Boston acquired Oviedo on Thursday. Ragans is under team control for the next three years, so replacing Bello's spot in the rotation with the fourth-place Cy Young finisher from a year ago would be an upgrade.

Granted, Bello's contract looks awfully team-friendly at this point too, but that might be especially palatable to a Royals team that hasn't spent much on extensions for players not named Bobby Witt Jr.

What makes the Red Sox's position at the moment so exciting is that yes, the Royals might simply choose to keep Ragans, but if he's available at all, Boston is one of the few teams with the surplus assets to make a move for him.

And if it's not Ragans, perhaps it's Freddy Peralta, or Ketel Marte, or dare we say Tarik Skubal?

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