Bleacher Report’s proposed Dodgers-Red Sox trade for Jarren Duran isn’t worth it

Not only have the 2025 Boston Red Sox been underwhelming, but their outfield is jam-packed, without a permanent home for the No. 1 prospect in baseball, Roman Anthony.

The Red Sox have enough outfield talent to entice teams across the league into a trade, and Jarren Duran is the most popular target. The 28-year-old posted a stellar season last year, during which he slashed .285/.342/.492, led MLB with 48 doubles and 14 triples, stole 34 bases, earned an All-Star nomination and came in eighth place in the American League MVP race.

Bleacher Report has tabbed the Los Angeles Dodgers and their top-tier farm system as one of the best trade partners for the Red Sox and Duran. Writer Zachary D. Rymer proposed that LA send Dalton Rushing, Jackson Ferris and Emil Morales to Boston in exchange for Duran.

It's an intriguing proposal, but not the best deal for either side. Firstly, Duran has regressed a bit from his 2024 production on both sides of the ball, although he's begun to heat up recently. He's slashing .271/.324/.421 with a .745 OPS through 67 games. He does still own the league lead in triples, with seven so far. Duran was an elite defender last year, sporting 95th-percentile range, but it's down to the 22nd percentile this year. He logged 23 defensive runs saved in 2024 compared to three this season. The jury's still out on whether Duran is worth three top-10 prospects on his own.

Bleacher Report's Dodgers-Red Sox trade proposal for Jarren Duran could be better for both sides

LA also doesn't need much outfield help. Sure, Michael Conforto has been a bust, with a .170/.312/.269 slash line over 59 games, but Andy Pages, Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman, Teoscar Hernández, Kiké Hernández and Hyeseong Kim can all suit up in the outfield.

The Red Sox also don't need another shortstop, as their middle infield is already jammed for the foreseeable future. Trevor Story is under contract for three more years (he'll opt in, based on his recent trends), top prospect Marcelo Mayer has already been billed as their shortstop of the future, and they have two more top shortstop prospects in Mikey Romero and Franklin Arias, whose paths to the big leagues are already unclear. Morales doesn't make the most sense as a return for Duran.

Rushing and Ferris could work for Boston. The Sox traded top prospect catcher Kyle Teel to Chicago in exchange for Garrett Crochet this winter, and Rushing and breakout backstop Carlos Narváez could be a killer tandem behind the plate. Every team could use more pitching depth, and Ferris is a Double-A pitching prospect with a 3.71 ERA with 270 strikeouts and 113 walks over 228.1 innings across three seasons in the Dodgers' system.

The Red Sox aren't going out of their way to trade Duran now, but it wouldn't be surprising to see them try to move an outfielder in the near future. If they try to trade him this year, it may be hard for the Dodgers to swing a deal for him.