Trade rumors have followed Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran for a few months, and with the July 31 deadline in view, they're picking up steam. Boston has already declined an opportunity to trade Duran to the team that covets him most.
According to Sean McAdam of MassLive, the San Diego Padres approached the Red Sox with a tantalizing offer for Duran, including pitcher Dylan Cease, top catching prospect Leo De Vries and another prospect (subscription required). McAdam reports that Boston "quickly" rejected the deal.
The Red Sox's speedy denial of the Padres' proposal may be the clearest indication that they won't trade Duran before the deadline. San Diego's offer would have helped Boston address multiple needs, and it even had previous interest in trading for Cease before the 2025 season began.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow may think that he can get more for Duran before the deadline or over the upcoming offseason. Duran will have three more years of control on his contract after the 2025 season, and Cease is an impending free agent — he wouldn't last the Sox very long as a return, unless they could extend him before he hits the open market in about three months.
Red Sox declined Jarren Duran trade proposal from Padres that included Dylan Cease, top catching prospect Ethan Salas
Cease has posted a 4.59 ERA with 144 strikeouts and 42 walks over 113.2 innings this year. The righty is having a down season, but he's shown flashes of brilliance that could justify trading for him as a top-of-the-rotation arm. Cease came in second place in American League Cy Young Award voting in 2022 (2.20 ERA) and ranked fourth in NL Cy Young voting last year (3.47 ERA).
The Red Sox are also desperate for catching depth after Connor Wong's regression from last season. Wong, Boston's final player from the disastrous Mookie Betts trade, batted .280/.333/.425 over 126 games in 2024, and he's slashing just .144/.228/.144 with one RBI in 36 games this year.
Unfortunately, Salas would not be able to help the Red Sox in the big leagues this season, which could be another major reason they rejected San Diego's trade proposal. The 19-year-old prospect is currently in Double-A, where he has played just 10 games and is batting .188/.325/.219. Salas isn't a top 100 prospect, and he's nowhere near MLB-ready, which doesn't help when the Red Sox need catching reinforcements now.
The Padres have been reportedly "enamored" by Duran for quite some time, and if they want him that much, they could approach the Sox with another, better offer that would give them more immediate, long-term help. Hopefully, Breslow can secure a better trade package from another team before the deadline or over the offseason — the Red Sox's outfield is not sustainable with as many players as it has now.