The San Diego Padres have made it known they are desperately looking for an impact outfielder in the fielding and batting game. There have been several players they have been interested in trading for, including the Chicago White Soxâs Luis Roberts. The most requested player remains the Boston Red Soxâs Jarren Duran. With the MLB Trade Deadline approaching, the Padres are hoping to finalize this deal.
Recently, MassLiveâs Sean McAdams said the Padres offered the Red Sox their top pitcher, Dylan Cease, catcher prospect Ethan Salas, and another prospect for Duran. McAdams stated that Boston quickly declined the offer. There isnât a clear reason why the Red Sox turned down the offer. There are, however, multiple reasons why it could still happen, despite some hesitation from the Red Sox.
The Trade Helps Both Padres and Red Sox
It is clear why the San Diego Padres desperately need a reliable left fielder on both sides of the field. The signing of 35-year-old Jason Heyward at the beginning of the season was an absolute disaster. The Padres have since seen some inconsistencies in the batting game.
In 102 games for the Boston Red Sox this season, Duran has accounted for 56 runs, 105 hits, 52 RBIs, a batting average of .254, an on-base percentage of .321, and a slugging percentage of .321. He hasnât played up to the All-Star level he was last season, but he is still incredibly efficient at 28 years old.
Cease has been on short contracts to see what his real value is. He continues to bet on himself and struggles at times, but there are also times when he can play like an All-Star pitcher. Cease is on a one-year; $13.750 million deal with the Padres, set to be an unrestricted free agent in the next off-season.Â
If Boston looks to trade for an expiring contract player, it would have to ensure he easily gets re-signed to a new deal. Cease could easily make the Red Sox one of the top starting units in the league.
They would also have a chance to get some talented prospects in their minor league rosters. Salas has been one of the top prospects heading into the 2024 and 2025 seasons, but has been steadily declining. Perhaps a new change of scenery is needed for Salas.Â
What Would It Take for Padres and Red Sox To Make the Deal Happen?
Not much is known about the potential request from the San Diego Padres and why it was rejected by the Boston Red Sox. Cease can be a reliable starting pitcher for them in their middle tier. They might not like Salas’ decline in productivity and health. Finally, it is unknown who the second prospect was offered in the deal.Â
The Red Sox might be interested in the deal for the package if Salas were replaced or if 18-year-old shortstop Leo De Vries were available. Vries is currently the third-ranked prospect by MLB.com. He would be a prospect worth developing and waiting for, unless the Red Sox want a ready-now prospect.
The Padres also have talented pitchers like Braden Nett, Humberto Cruz, and Kash Mayfield. They could be enticing for the Red Soxâs relief pitching crew. Nett is among the more ready prospects to play on a Major League roster.Â
There might also be the consideration that the Red Sox arenât ready to trade away Duran, especially since he is a positive force in the locker room after the previous trade of Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants. The Red Sox know that Duran isnât going to be in the long-term plans moving forward. Boston, however, might not want to have him depart. Then again, they could wait for a better offer from the Padres until the last minutes of the deadline.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Trade Proposal to Help Red Sox and Padres Halted; But Not Dead appeared first on Heavy Sports.