"Adding a bat or two is something that we're going to look at here in the next few weeks." - Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller
Major League Baseball's trade deadline is looming large over the Padres. By July 31 at 6:00 p.m. ET, the expectation is that San Diego's roster will have been upgraded to make its final push towards a run in October. As trade rumors have begun to swirl and needs remain on the roster, Boston Red Sox All-Star outfielder Jarren Duran's name keeps being linked to the Friars.
The Padres have a glaring and obvious hole in left field that the 28 year-old could help fill. Duran is in the midst of an average year after putting up a gaudy 2024 campaign in which he was named an American League All-Star and led the AL doubles and triples. He's currently slashing .259/.315/.742 with seven home runs and 47 RBIs.
After displaying what he's capable of doing in 160 games played last season, the Long Beach State product feels like the kind of player that could make for a natural fit in America's Finest City. His bat plays for hard contact with some power, aggressive on the base paths, and has the potential to play above average defense. Duran ranks in the 94th percentile in Baserunning Run Value, meaning he manufactures runs while on-base whether it's via a steal or taking an extra base.
Jarren Duran tanks one the opposite way for his first home run of the season 💥 pic.twitter.com/V8AQfshns9
— MLB (@MLB) April 15, 2025
In late June, Dennis Lin of The Athletic recently held a Q&A mailbag session in which subscribers could send in questions for him to answer. In regard to a question submitted pertaining to Duran's availability, Lin answered, "Duran remains at or near the top of San Diego's list of trade targets, but unless the Red Sox really fall out of their wild-card chase, they may not have much incentive to move him next month."
Duran, who if traded this season would come with three-plus years of team control, won't come cheap. Boston has needs at first base, their bullpen, and starting rotation. It's interesting to note what kind of package A.J. Preller would need to part with in order to get a deal done. As part of the same mailbag, Lin said the following regarding a question on the Padres' list of prospects they'd perhaps be willing to deal: "Uh, I'd say everyone except Leo De Vries."
USA Today's Bob Nightengale is the latest to join ESPN's Jeff Passan and The Athletic's Jim Bowden in linking Jarren Duran to San Diego. In a recent column he wrote, "Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran still makes the most sense for the Padres."
As the Padres continue to field different internal options in left field, it seems Duran's name has been the one constant to remain in trade buzz. It also remains to be seen if they possess the means to align on a deal with Boston, but an outfield of Jarren Duran, Jackson Merrill, and Fernando Tatis Jr. sounds like a very tantalizing idea to try for.