One of the constants of the 2025 MLB trade deadline — and the season, as a whole — is the San Diego Padres' reported interest in trading for Jarren Duran.
The Boston Red Sox have declined multiple offers for the outfielder, which have included rental pitchers for their second-half pursuits and top prospects for their future. So far, nothing has convinced the Red Sox to part with Duran.
With just hours to go before the deadline, the Padres acquired reliever Mason Miller and starter J. P. Sears for Leo De Vries, the No. 3 prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, and three pitchers. De Vries and top San Diego catching prospect Ethan Salas were rumored to be part of one of its offers for Duran, but that return was not enticing enough for the Sox.
Dennis Lin, Padres beat reporter for The Athletic, said the Padres still hope to acquire a left fielder before 6 p.m. on July 31. Duran and the Guardians' Steven Kwan remain their top targets, and Cleveland has reportedly requested De Vries for Kwan, which is now impossible.
Padres may need to pull off three-team trade if they're serious about acquiring Red Sox's Jarren Duran
Lin theorized that the Padres may have to trade Dylan Cease or Robert Suarez to then flip the prospects they receive for Duran or Kwan. Instead, they could execute a three-team trade with one of the teams interested in their available players. The Astros, Mariners, Cubs, Yankees and Tigers are among the teams "in" on Suarez, and the Mets, Yankees and Astros like Cease.
Even before the Miller-Sears trade with the A's, the Padres had one of the weakest farm systems in the league. After trading their top prospect, it will only be worse, lessening the odds of a two-team Duran or Kwan trade even further. The Yankees and Astros also rank in the bottom 10, while the Cubs, Mets, Mariners and Tigers may be able to make something work. San Diego's deal for Miller and Sears set the market quite high — Miller earned an All-Star nod and Rookie of the Year votes during the 2024 season, but the No. 3 prospect in baseball, plus, is quite a return for the A's.
Boston needs catchers and a first baseman to compete in the second half, but Cease is just a rental, and it could be hard to get an MVP-ready return for him from another team. Still, first base and catcher are positions of need in the Sox's system, and they could build for next season while clearing their outfield logjam with a Duran trade.
Duran has gotten hot at the plate in recent weeks — Alex Cora moved him to the third spot in the batting order and he's performed like his 2024, MVP-candidate self since. It would take quite an offer for Boston to ship Duran elsewhere at this stage, and the only way San Diego may be able to pull it off is to rope other teams into the trade.