Jarren Duran trade rumors continue to percolate

Jarren Duran trade rumors are nothing new at this point for the Boston Red Sox. But as the deadline fast approaches, they refuse to go away.

Two top baseball insiders have brought up Duran's name in fresh reports to start the week, and to add fuel to the fire, Duran is not in the Red Sox' starting lineup Monday night against the Colorado Rockies at Fenway Park.

His absence could be just a coincidence, but the trade rumors invite questions of whether he's being held out as a precaution. That doesn't necessarily mean a deal is imminent, but the reporting is heating up on a player that was already suggested as a top trade candidate to be shipped out of Boston.

Jayson Stark of The Athletic spoke to execs in both leagues, and concluded that Duran is at least being brought up in discussions between the Red Sox and other clubs:

And then there's Bob Nightengale of USA Today, who wrote that the San Diego Padres are "spreading the word to every seller that they are searching for a right-handed hitting outfielder and a catcher, and aren’t afraid to deal their prospects." He added that Duran "makes the most sense" for them.

^{The Jarren Duran trade rumors refuse to go away with the deadline fast approaching.}

Nightengale certainly seems to be reporting more from the Padres side of things in that story, but it's intriguing that two of the most tapped-in reporters in the game are mentioning Duran's name in trade notes. This sounds like a big opportunity for Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow to hold the Padres' feet to the proverbial fire for a potential haul of players.

San Diego currently has the No. 3 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, in shortstop Leo De Vries. Notably for the Red Sox, they also have catcher Ethan Salas, the No. 25 overall prospect, who ranks just behind Kyle Teel on the same list. Pitchers to know are lefty Kash Mayfield and righty Humberto Cruz.

If the Padres are that desperate to add a right-handed outfielder, the Red Sox have no excuse not to pry at least one or two of those top prospects out of their system. Duran, a California native, is arbitration-eligible through 2028 with a club option of only $8 million through 2026, so he'd be under team control and cost-effective absent a new contract.

As for the Red Sox, they already have center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela locked up, while Roman Anthony and Wilyer Abreu both look like long-term fits in the corner outfield spots. So Duran does not seem to make sense for their future plans. Trading him for a solid cache of prospects would be an understandable move for Breslow, in and of itself.

It's just a matter of pulling the trigger, and maximizing value.