The Cleveland Guardians are eight games behind the Detroit Tigers for the American League Central division lead. A huge reason for the Guardians’ overall lack of success has been due to the poor play in the outfield, especially from Nolan Jones.
Jones, the former Colorado Rockies prospect, has gotten off to a poor start to the 2025 season. After disappointing with the Rockies in 2024, after a promising 2023 season where Jones hit .297, the Guardians are predicted to move off the struggling outfielder.
A recent trade prediction from Brandon Glick of Away Back Gone has the Guardians ending their Nolan Jones experiment in favor of adding Boston Red Sox All-Star outfielder Jarren Duran.
With rumors surrounding Duran becoming available, he’d easily be one of the top options for the Guardians amid their search for a new outfielder. Duran would be able to play in center field, left field, or even right field if needed. His versatility in the outfield would help the Guardians immensely.
The impetuous of this prediction stems from moving on from Jones. In the 2025 season, Jones is batting. 215 with 2 home runs and 16 RBIs. Lane Thomas is somehow worse, hitting .129 with just three RBI on the year.
The addition of someone like Duran, who is batting .271 with four home runs, nine triples, 37 RBIs, and a .745 OPS, would be a huge boost to the Guardians’ offense. Duran is no slouch defensively either, and would be an overall incredible upgrade over Jones, who’s been a failed experiment for the Guardians in 2025.
Glick’s prediction has the Guardians adding All-Star Red Sox outfielder Duran instead of continuing the Jones experiment. While the theory on Jones was right, the results didn’t pan out. As the Guardians sit in third place in the AL Central, a move for Duran would be a huge get for a team looking to compete like the Guardians.
