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Passan links Jarren Duran to Padres, lists Red Sox as trade spot for closer
"A Duran-Jackson Merrill-Fernando Tatis Jr. outfield would be a factory of dynamism that would be under team control through the end of the 2028 season."
With the Red Sox hindered by a roster logjam, the writing is on the wall that Craig Breslow and his staff will have to trade an impact player off the roster to create flexibility moving forward.
Now that Masataka Yoshida is back and expected to play as the team’s go-to DH against right-handed starters, Boston faces a reality where at least one of Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu will have to sit out, night in and night out.
An established All-Star like Duran could be the odd man out, given the younger players already in place on Boston’s depth chart, along with the potential return the Red Sox could secure by dealing Duran away.
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One team that has been linked to Duran for weeks is the San Diego Padres, with The Athletic’s Dennis Lin listing the West Coast club as a potential suitor for the speedy leadoff hitter back in June.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan also listed San Diego as one of Duran’s “best fits” last month, with the longtime MLB insider doubling down on that scenario again Thursday when mapping out the Padres’ top trade targets.
“No player and team have been linked as strongly as Duran and the Padres — and that’s without any knowledge of how the Red Sox intend to handle the deadline,” Passan wrote on ESPN. “Roman Anthony’s emergence has put Boston in a position to float Duran and Wilyer Abreu in trade discussions, and whether it’s now or over the winter, Boston wants to use its surplus of bats to fill voids elsewhere.”
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Even if Duran has had an uneven season after last year’s breakout campaign, he has been on a roll in July, driving in 11 runs over eight games this month while sporting a 1.154 OPS. Duran is also under team control through 2028, further elevating his value to a team in need of a dynamic outfielder.
“Left field in San Diego is among the biggest voids in the game. The Padres have tried eight players in left this season, and collectively they’re barely have an OPS of over .600. A Duran-Jackson Merrill-Fernando Tatis Jr. outfield would be a factory of dynamism that would be under team control through the end of the 2028 season,” Passan added.
“The Padres might need to get creative — beyond shortstop Leo De Vries (who’s believed to be off-limits) and catcher Ethan Salas, their farm system is middling — but nobody does creativity like GM A.J. Preller. And whether that means facilitating a deal through a third team or including one of their high-leverage relievers such as closer Robert Suárez, San Diego is willing to go places most other organizations would never consider.”
As the Red Sox mull their options over who could get dealt off the roster, Passan added that Boston could also look to add as the team braces itself for a second-half push.
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When it comes to finding the “best match” for Boston ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, Passan linked the Red Sox to St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley.
“Red Sox relievers walk too many hitters and don’t strike out enough. Take away Aroldis Chapman — the best reliever in the AL this season — and the Red Sox have a middle-of-the-pack bullpen,” Passan wrote.
“Getting Helsley from St. Louis would give Boston arguably the top setup-closer combination in baseball and go a long way toward supporting a rotation that has been among the game’s best over the past month.”
Helsley would form a dangerous 1-2 punch with Chapman moving forward, with the 30-year-old reliever earning two All-Star nods over the last four seasons.
After recording 49 saves and striking out 79 batters over 66.1 innings of work last season with the Cardinals, Helsley’s numbers have dipped a bit in 2025 — posting a 3.19 ERA over 31 appearances.
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