The Boston Red Sox are not poised to be sellers just yet, but they very well could be when the deadline rolls around. Jarren Duran could be a name to watch if that’s the case.
Duran was an All-Star last season and is slashing .274/.323/.423 this season. However, he is part of the reason top prospect Roiman Anthony can’t be called up. Trading Duran would open up a spot for Anthony. Duran is older and has less club control than Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu, making him the most likely outfielder to be traded.
Duran is a good player, and the Red Sox would not want to trade him to a team where he can torment them for years to come. FanSided’s Zachary Rotman suggested the Cleveland Guardians could be a suitor in that case.
“In an ideal world, the Red Sox won’t send Duran to an American League team, given he’d come with three additional years of club control after this one, but a team like the Cleveland Guardians is unlikely to keep Duran along long-term, needs outfield help, and has intriguing assets to offer,” wrote Rotman.
The Guardians are known for being incredibly cheap, and while they were (somehow) able to convince Jose Ramirez to sign an incredibly team-friendly extension, they’ve traded players like Francisco Lindor and, most recently, Josh Naylor right before they hit free agency,” Rotman continued. “There’s a good chance Duran would be among that group, and even if he doesn’t, it’s hard to envision Cleveland committing long-term to him.”
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The Guardians reached the American League Championship Series last season and have the pieces to make another deep run this year. Duran would help them now before they try to flip him for prospects, potentially. In the meantime, the Red Sox could add some young talent for Duran and also get Anthony called up.
“Duran departing after just a couple of seasons in Cleveland, while the Red Sox land an exciting prospect like Jaison Chourio or C.J. Kayfus, and potentially an MLB-ready reliever with control like Hunter Gaddis, would be a pretty good outcome,” wrote Rotman.
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