Passan links Jarren Duran to Padres, lists Red Sox as trade spot for closer

Given the Red Sox’s roster stalemate, it is inevitable that Craig Breslow and his team will need to cut some important player in order to free up roster space going ahead.

At least one of Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, or Wilyer Abreu will have to miss every night of play now that Masataka Yoshida is back and projected to be the team’s go-to DH versus right-handed starters.

Given the younger players already on Boston’s depth chart and the possible return the Red Sox could obtain by trading Duran away, a proven All-Star like Duran might be the odd man out.

The San Diego Padres are one team that has been connected to Duran for weeks; back in June, Dennis Lin of The Athletic mentioned the West Coast team as a possible contender for the quick leadoff hitter.

Last month, ESPN’s Jeff Passan named San Diego as one of Duran’s top fits. On Thursday, the veteran MLB insider reiterated that assessment while outlining the Padres’ top trade targets.

“Without knowing how the Red Sox plan to handle the deadline, no player and team have been linked as strongly as Duran and the Padres,” Passan wrote on ESPN. Due to Roman Anthony’s rise, Boston is now able to bring up Duran and Wilyer Abreu in trade talks. Whether this is done now or during the winter, Boston intends to deploy its excess bats to cover gaps elsewhere.

Duran has been on a roll in July, scoring 11 runs in eight games this month and recording a 1.154 OPS, despite having a patchy season following his standout campaign the previous year. Duran’s worth to a team that needs a dynamic outfielder is further increased by the fact that he is under team control through 2028.

One of the largest gaps in the game is left field in San Diego. This season, the Padres have tried eight different players, and their combined OPS is just over.600. According to Passan, an outfield consisting of Duran, Jackson Merrill, and Fernando Tatis Jr. would be a dynamic factory that the team could control until the end of the 2028 campaign.

The Padres may need to think outside of shortstop. Leo De Vries, who is thought to be off-limits, and catcher Ethan Salas have a mediocre farm system, but no one is as creative as general manager A.J. Preller. And San Diego is prepared to go where most other teams would never think to go, whether that means negotiating a deal with a third team or using one of their high-leverage relievers, like closer Robert Surez.

Passan continued, “Boston could also look to add as the team braces itself for a second-half push,” as the Red Sox consider who might be dealt off the roster.

Passan connected the Red Sox to Ryan Helsley, a closer for the St. Louis Cardinals, in order to identify the best fit for Boston before the July 31 trade deadline.

The Red Sox relievers don’t strike out enough and walk too many batters. “The Red Sox have a middle-of-the-pack bullpen if you take away Aroldis Chapman, the best reliever in the AL this season,” Passan wrote.

In addition to providing Boston with what is likely the best setup-closer combination in baseball, acquiring Helsley from St. Louis would help sustain a rotation that has been among the best in the league for the previous month.

The game is ended by Ryan Helsley with 102 MPH GASpic.twitter.com/tnKEefUmoo.

Going ahead, Helsley and Chapman would create a potent 1-2 punch; during the past four seasons, the 30-year-old reliever has been selected to the All-Star team twice.

Helsley’s stats have somewhat declined in 2025, as he has a 3.19 ERA over 31 appearances, after closer had 49 saves and struck out 79 batters in 66.1 innings of work with the Cardinals the previous season.

Since 2023, Conor Ryan has worked as a staff writer for Boston.com, covering the Boston Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.