Trade talk among MLB circles often veers into “are you kidding me” territory.
Suggested deals involving superstar players can take on more of a fantasy sports flavor than anything attached to reality. Or they might just be so clearly lopsided that simply mentioning the possibility elicits laughter and eye rolls.
Such was the case recently when former GM Jim Bowden, a contributor to The Athletic, proposed that the Chicago Cubs trade three of their top four prospects along with No. 13 in their system for Miami Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara. When presented with this outlandish offer, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer laughed and said, “It’s fun, I like the fact that people are always talking about the trade deadline, but ultimately I don’t read that stuff for a reason.”
Jarren Duran, Alex Bregman Listed Among Top Trade Deadline Candidates
A lot of stuff over the past month or so has mentioned the potential availability of Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran at the July 31 trade deadline. And the reasoning behind the discussion is sound, given the disappointing nature of Boston’s overall play this season and the outfield logjam created by the inevitable arrival of top prospect Roman Anthony.
More recently, the conversation has grown to include the possibility of the Red Sox dealing third baseman Alex Bregman. Again, the thought process spurring that suggestion points to Boston’s .500 record as a catalyst for a trade, noting that Bregman could opt out of the deal that he signed with the Red Sox during the winter, particularly in the wake of the Rafael Devers blockbuster.
Both ideas received a vote of confidence on Tuesday from ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan, as Bregman was listed No. 1 among MLB’s top 50 trade deadline candidates, while Duran was named target No. 2. But according to longtime Boston sportswriter Sean McAdam, one of those ideas can be lumped into the “are you kidding me” box.
“I see next to no chance of Bregman being dealt,” McAdam said. “I see there being a decent chance that Duran goes.”
Appearing with fellow Beantown scribe Chris Cotillo in the latest episode of the “Fenway Rundown” podcast, McAdam signed on to the rationale that the Red Sox simply have too many cooks in the kitchen, so one of the outfielders will have to go.
“We know that there is already a crowded outfield situation,” McAdam said. “Ceddanne Rafaela has, I think, earned his time and retains his spot in center field. [Wilyer] Abreu is someone they don’t want to give up, a Gold Glove winner who is still getting better offensively, and [there is also] Roman Anthony. You can’t have those four outfielders on the team and keep them all happy with playing time and/or develop Anthony at the big-league level. So the notion of Duran being traded would not surprise me in the least.”
Boston Could be Unpleasantly Surprised by Return in Jarren Duran Trade
As for the notion that Boston could command a big package of talent in return for the 28-year-old Duran, an All-Star last season who still has three seasons of team control after 2025, Cotillo warned that the organization and its fans may be unpleasantly surprised.
“He hasn’t been great offensively this year, and his defense has taken a huge step back,” Cotillo said. “And I just think the Red Sox are going to want a premium for the player that they saw last year, and teams are going to be wanting to pay for the player they’re seeing this year, and I think that that makes it hard to make a deal.”
Which, Cotillo continued, could mean that Durran won’t be going anywhere … at least, not in the next five weeks.
“They don’t have to force it, that’s the other thing,” Cotillo said. “I think that at a certain point with Raffy [Devers], it got like, ‘All right, we’ve got to get him out of here, so we’re going to take, especially if someone takes on the whole deal, we’re going to move him.’ With Duran, is it the end of the world if they have somebody sitting on certain days for the final two months of the season, and then figure it out in the offseason? No.”
McAdam stressed that trading Durran now would not necessarily mean Boston has given up on contending this season.
“I think they would be looking for some immediate help,” he said.
“I don’t think it would represent any sort of, ‘We’re out, we’re auctioning, there’s a fire sale.’ I think it would be done sort of in advance of a trade that they would otherwise make in the offseason, with an eye toward trying to get better over the final two months.”
But Cotillo expressed a word of caution over what trading Durran could really be saying to Red Sox Nation.
“As much as you can say, ‘Well, we’re not waving the white flag, and we’re not selling,’ if they do this – and I’m not necessarily against them doing it, I see the reasons why and I see the reasons why not – you are selling to your fan base, ‘Hey, we’re still trying to contend,’” Cotillo reasoned. “But remember the best two players on our team from last year who entered the season as our non-Bregman category, best two best position players? Well, they’re gone, and Bregman might walk at the end of the year.”
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