History has shown that when Atlanta Braves' GM Alex Anthopoulos makes a deal with a team, he tends to call them again. After seeing how well the 2023 Chris Sale trade has worked out for the Braves, Anthopoulos just might be eyeing the Boston Red Sox to make another trade within the next couple of weeks.
Most pundits expect the Braves to be sellers at this year's trade deadline as they are all but out of postseason contention. However, the reality is the organization wants to get better while keeping the core of the team together.
Early on Monday morning, the Braves called up catcher Sandy Leon to the majors. This move could open the door for veteran Marcell Ozuna to be traded and his right-handed power bat would be a great fit for the Red Sox in exchange for outfielder Jarren Duran.
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Braves could add Jarren Duran at trade deadline
According to MLB.com's Insiders Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan, the Boston Red Sox could be looking to deal Duran by the end of the month. McDaniel and Passan point out that with Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony and Ceddanee Rafaela, the Red Sox almost have a surplus of outfielders.
Once they moved Rafael Devers to the San Fransisco Giants, Boston could still benefit from another power bat in their lineup. This is the void Marcell Ozuna could fill as a designated hitter.
Ozuna's contract is up at the end of this season and with the rise of rookie Drake Baldwin, the Braves could decide to go a cheaper route that provides focus on the future rather than looking to re-sign 34-year-old Ozuna.
How would Jarren Duran fit with the Braves?
If Atlanta does in fact trade for Duran, they would have to reconfigure their outfield a bit. Right now, the depth chart has Jurickson Profar, Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. from left to right. However, if the Braves were to magically make the postseason in 2025, Profar would not be eligible for the playoff rosters as part of his PED suspension earlier this year.
Duran is hitting .257 this season with eight homers and 50 RBIs. He also has added 10 triples to his resume for the 2025 campaign. With these respectable numbers and the ability to play all three outfield spots, the Braves would find a place for him and add depth to their roster, no matter how hard it may be. We could be looking at one of those situations where although it doesn't seem like a textbook fit, if Atlanta has a chance to get a good player they could very well do just that and figure it out later.
While most Braves fans would not like the idea of trading Ozuna considering how much he has helped them over the last few seasons, the timing of it makes sense and stealing away a player of Jarren Duran's caliber would be a phenomenal trade for the Braves.