The San Diego Padres have reportedly shown interest in outfielder Jarren Duran, one of the better outfielders in Major League Baseball.
Duran, who is still just 28 years old, is arbitration-eligible in 2026 and doesn’t hit free agency until 2029. The Padres could pair him with Jackson Merrill for the next few seasons, hoping to go all in with an expensive roster.
And according to The Athletics’ Jim Bowden, it seems like the team understands that. The Padres reportedly want to find a left fielder, and with Duran’s name continuing to be mentioned, it seems all but guaranteed that’s who Bowden was speaking about in this scenario.
“The Padres know they need another bat to lengthen their lineup and are focused on acquiring a left fielder. They might be willing to again dangle their best prospects to get it done as they try to take advantage of their roster’s window to win a World Series,” he wrote.
It’d be a bit questionable for the Boston Red Sox to move on from Duran, but crazier things have happened. The Red Sox also traded Mookie Betts, so nothing should ever be off the table.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Sure, that was a different front office, but this is baseball, and anything can happen.
Duran is coming off a year in which he won the All-Star Game MVP, earning his first career All-Star nod.
In 2025, he’s been excellent again, posting a 109 OPS+ with seven triples, which leads the American League, 18 doubles, and has continued to showcase his speed with 14 stolen bases.
If the Padres could land him for a decent price, he’d be a nice addition.
