As the MLB trade deadline closes in, the Boston Red Sox's plan is unclear. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has attested that he seeks to improve the team at the deadline, but Boston has a difficult second-half schedule approaching, and rumors about the Red Sox selling assets persist.
Jarren Duran has been one of the most popular players in trade rumors this season, and fellow outfielder Wilyer Abreu hasn't been far behind. Boston has too many outfielders with Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Masataka Yoshida and Rob Refsnyder also competing for spots. Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports that scouts from other clubs have been assigned to the Red Sox, just in case they decide to shop an outfielder before the deadline (subscription required).
But Speier also reports that the Sox "aren’t believed to be shopping" Abreu and Duran, although they have both been characterized as "available." The report is consistent with some comments Breslow has made, noting that the team doesn't need to trade an outfielder before the July 31 deadline. Manager Alex Cora has even characterized Boston's surplus of outfielders as "a luxury" — both could be comments in the service of gaining leverage for the Red Sox, or they could hold onto their outfielders until the offseason.
Conflicting reports emerge about Red Sox potentially shopping Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu
Reporter Rob Bradford of WEEI shared an opposing perspective to Speier in his June 10 appearance on WEEI's "Jones and Keefe Show."
"I wouldn't be surprised if they traded an outfielder. I know that one team has told me that they had introduced Jarren Duran into a conversation," Bradford said.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they traded an outfielder."
— Jones & Keefe (@JonesandKeefe) July 10, 2025
The Red Sox have a logjam in the outfield that they will eventually need to figure out.
So what's the resolution? @bradfo joined the show to discuss. pic.twitter.com/ZzgtGIsvNk
The Red Sox mentioning Duran in a conversation is hardly a guarantee that he'll be traded, but it would refute Speier's report that they haven't shopped him or Abreu. If Boston were to trade the outfielders, neither would come cheap. Duran is under contract until after the 2028 season and has an All-Star nomination and MVP votes to his name, while Abreu is under team control until after the 2029 season and has a Gold Glove.
Speier believes the Red Sox won't settle for "anything short of an impact big leaguer" when trading Duran or Abreu, and that prediction sounds right based on the team's needs. Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito have posted excellent performances on the mound in the past month, but neither is exceedingly reliable long-term. Boston's offense has exploded against the Nationals and Rockies, but that may not continue against its difficult second-half schedule, so an impact bat may also be a possibility.
Either Abreu or Duran may be traded eventually to clear space in the outfield, but with Boston's entire outfield playing so well, it may hold off at the trade deadline. If the Red Sox sell one of them at the deadline, the return should help the team win immediately — they're in danger of missing their fourth-straight postseason if they make the wrong choice.