Jarren Duran is on the trade block. We can question whether the Boston Red Sox should trade him or not (I believe Duran should be kept, barring a massive haul coming to Beantown), but the fact of the matter is, he appears to be very available.
While Duran hasn't been nearly as dominant this season as he was in 2024 campaign, he still has an incredibly high ceiling. The Red Sox should only trade him if the return is good enough, and they should only be willing to send him to certain teams.
It'd be unfortunate to see Duran in any other uniform, but Red Sox fans would prefer he end up with any of these four clubs.
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4) The Guardians are an AL team, but they wouldn't keep Jarren Duran for long
In an ideal world, the Red Sox won't send Duran to an American League team, given he'd come with three additional years of club control after this one, but a team like the Cleveland Guardians is unlikely to keep Duran along long-term, needs outfield help, and has intriguing assets to offer.
The Guardians are known for being incredibly cheap, and while they were (somehow) able to convince Jose Ramirez to sign an incredibly team-friendly extension, they've traded players like Francisco Lindor and, most recently, Josh Naylor right before they hit free agency. There's a good chance Duran would be among that group, and even if he doesn't, it's hard to envision Cleveland committing long-term to him.
Duran departing after just a couple of seasons in Cleveland, while the Red Sox land an exciting prospect like Jaison Chourio or C.J. Kayfus, and potentially an MLB-ready reliever with control like Hunter Gaddis, would be a pretty good outcome.
3) The Padres wouldn't be as detrimental of a landing spot as the Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are ultimately going to be linked to just about any star player, and for good reason, but the Padres are a team that has already been linked to Duran. The Dodgers might have more to offer, but do the Red Sox really want to send him to the team that's already the most talented in the sport? The San Diego Padres are really good too, but they're not the Dodgers.
San Diego's potential package would leave a lot to be desired, assuming top prospect Leo De Vries is off the table. However, it might honestly be worthwhile to take just a smidge less in return rather than send him to a team in Los Angeles that the Red Sox might end up playing against in the World Series sooner rather than later. Again, Duran would not be a rental. Duran can end up hurting them in Los Angeles for years to come, and might even be willing to take one of their patented deferred money deals.
In an ideal world, Boston receives a haul from a preferred destination. The Padres might not have the haul the Red Sox are looking for, but it'd be less painful to see him in San Diego than Los Angeles.
2) The Phillies make too much sense as a Jarren Duran suitor
The Philadelphia Phillies need an outfielder, and might be desperate enough to overpay for one. Their left fielders rank 20th in the majors with a 94 WRC+, and their center fielders rank 25th in the majors with a 72 WRC+. Duran would be a major upgrade, and can be a permanent fixture at the top of their order in front of Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.
Where this is ideal for the Red Sox is that the Phillies are a National League club that the Red Sox only play three times in the regular season, and they have a ton to offer. From Andrew Painter, to Mick Abel, to Aidan Miller, the options are plentiful for the Red Sox.
Not having to face Duran often while receiving a haul is the dream scenario.
1) Red Sox fans can still root for Jarren Duran in a Mets uniform
There's no team Red Sox fans hate more than the New York Yankees. With that in mind, why not send Duran to the Yankees' crosstown rival, making that rivalry even stronger? Yankees fans already have to see Juan Soto play every night for the team from Queens, and they want no part of seeing a star like Duran in a Mets uniform.
While the Mets don't need a center fielder, Duran would obviously be a major upgrade over the likes of Tyrone Taylor and Jose Siri. His defense probably isn't as great in center field, but his bat in that lineup would be outstanding. He'd also offer a speed element that this Mets team mostly lacks.
The Mets don't have the incredible high-end talent that a team like the Phillies do, but a package including Mark Vientos, one of their many excelling pitching prospects, and a lesser piece might be good enough for Boston to bite.
Ultimately, while Red Sox fans want to see Duran win in Boston, would there be a sweeter place to see him win than with a National League foe that Yankees fans hate? Probably not.