If the Boston Red Sox are going to be contenders this season with a wide-open A.L. East, then they shouldn’t be looking to trade Jarren Duran by the deadline.
Although there is no indication that Boston wants to trade Duran, there is reportedly “relentless” interest from the San Diego Padres.
With their biggest need being starting pitching, it’s unknown what San Diego is offering Boston, but it’s fair to say that any return for Duran should include legitimate big league talent rather than just adding more prospects.
Red Sox Must Keep Jarren Duran Past Trade Deadline
Duran provides positional versatility, lineup flexibility, and leadership to a young team that looks at him as a veteran. He’s the first player out of the dugout after a home run with the Wally Head to put on his teammates, and he’s also the last player to leave the ballpark after signing autographs and interacting with the fans.
Although Duran hasn’t necessarily matched his All-Star production from last season, he has a .745 OPS and leads the MLB in triples (10), plate appearances (430), and at-bats (393) in 2025. He leads the Red Sox in hits (101), doubles (24), triples (10), and stolen bases (15).
There are a few reasons why it’s being speculated that Boston should trade Duran, but it’s all variables that Alex Cora should be able to control with proper planning and scheduling, creating some kind of rotation for the roster logjam with the amount of outfielders and left-handed bats on the roster.
Duran is still growing as a player, but he’s progressing into an annual All-Star and Gold Glove caliber player for the Red Sox. He’s part of the new class of players that Boston has developed in recent years, and after already watching them trade Rafael Devers this season, it’s not something they should do again this season with another high-caliber upside player for their team.
As the Red Sox continue to climb back into the playoff race, trading a player like Duran ultimately wouldn’t help the team overall. He’s too valuable for Boston.