Red Sox's Rumored Stance on Jarren Duran Trades Revealed

The Boston Red Sox are in an extremely awkward position as spring training approaches.

It's a talented Red Sox roster getting ready to head to Florida, but an imperfect one. There are four very good outfielders, and only two guaranteed starters on the infield, with Marcelo Mayer close to a lock as a third.

Trading outfielder Jarren Duran has been talked about in Red Sox circles for a year straight at this point, but we still don't know how close or likely the team is to actually doing it. On Tuesday, an insider provided an update on how the Sox are supposedly thinking about that decision at the moment.

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How do Red Sox currently view Duran trade possibility?

According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, the Red Sox would want either an infielder or a star pitcher in a Duran trade, and spring training could be the time when they finally align with another suitor (potentially the Houston Astros) on a deal.

"It’s not that (the Red Sox) want to trade Duran, but if the return was either an infielder or starting pitcher who better fits with their current roster, they’d be open to it," wrote Bowden.

"They haven’t been close on a deal involving Duran yet, but that could change during spring training. The Astros could be a good match, as they don’t have an obvious spot for Isaac Paredes to play this season now that they have Carlos Correa, and Houston needs outfield upgrades. If the Red Sox decide to keep Duran and listen on Abreu instead, the Astros would also be a good fit."

That the Astros were the only realistic suitor Bowden mentioned further underscores the complexity of the Red Sox's situation. They wouldn't simply offload Duran for prospects, which teams like the Kansas City Royals or San Diego Padres might be willing to unload for a player they've long coveted.

Even a starting pitcher doesn't necessarily move the needle anymore, especially with Freddy Peralta and MacKenzie Gore off the market. It seems as though Paredes might be the only player Boston might trade Duran for at this point, unless the Arizona Diamondbacks creak the door open again on second baseman Ketel Marte.

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