It's not clear if Jarren Duran really is available, but if he is, the Philadelphia Phillies should be all over him.
Outfield is the clearest weakness for these Phillies, and Duran is the kind of outfielder whom you can seldom trade for. Not only was he an All-Star and 8-WAR player last season, but he comes with three remaining years of control beyond the 2025 season.
Even if the Red Sox are somehow willing to part with Duran, which would only be done to make room for number-one prospect Roman Anthony in the outfield, a team will have to pay a hefty toll to land him. Is Phillies general manager Dave Dombrowski prepared to pay that toll?
Zach Pressnell of FanSided believes it's entirely possible. In fact, Pressnell thinks the Phillies could land Duran and Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman in a blockbuster swap involving one of the Phillies' two big-name starting pitching prospects, Andrew Painter of Mick Abel.
"The Phillies could target Jarren Duran from the Red Sox as their center fielder of the future. Duran has found his name mixed up in trade rumors as the Red Sox search for a way to clear a spot for top prospect Roman Anthony," Pressnell wrote. "Red Sox reliever Aroldis Chapman could fit in this potential trade, too.
"In a deal like this, the Phillies would almost certainly give up one of the two coveted pitching prospects. Boston would likely hunt at least two or three more highly regarded prospects in order to pull both Duran and Chapman off its roster."
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Duran isn't quite having his 2024 numbers so far, but a .750 OPS with speed and at least average center field defense is nothing to sneeze at. He's one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball when he's hot, and the Phillies don't have many guys who can take extra bases in their lineup right now.
From the Red Sox's perspective, doing this deal for Abel feels like a stretch. They'd want Painter, and they'd be justified in that stance. However, Painter could be the heir apparent to Zach Wheeler as the team's ace, so it's not as though Dombrowski is likely to give up easily, either.
Both sides have a player the other has every reason to want--and who either side could declare off limits. But it's unlikely the deal gets done without both being included.
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