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With Roman Anthony now (finally) on the major league roster, there are questions surrounding the future of the outfield. It’s unlikely that Anthony has been called up just to be sent back down once Wilyer Abreu comes back from the injured list. He has nothing else to prove at Triple-A Worcester and deserves to be playing for the big league club. As I wrote on the day Anthony made his debut, there’s going to be some difficult roster decisions coming in the next few weeks. That likely means that either Jarren Duran or Abreu will be moved in a trade at some point in the near future. Abreu was surrounded by trade rumors all offseason, and teams like the Padres are already inquiring about Duran. The Red Sox are fortunate to have depth in the outfield and should be able to capitalize on that as we begin to approach the trade deadline. Let’s take a look at four different teams that make sense as suitors for either Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu.
Seattle Mariners
The Mariners need a spark. They are sitting at .500 as of this writing and are second in the AL West after recently being passed by the Houston Astros. They have the face of their franchise, Julio Rodriguez, manning center field but both of their corner outfield positions could use an upgrade. Randy Arozarena has been lackluster so far in 2025, slashing.232/.346/.401. He’s also a liability in left field, which would be the perfect chance for Duran to come in and add some stability.
The big upgrade possibility in Seattle, though, is right field. Both Duran and Abreu could slot into right field for the Mariners the day of the trade and be an instant upgrade over anyone else they’ve trotted out to that position so far this season. Luke Raley leads the team in games played in right, but he's currently hurt and rocking below-average defensive metrics. The Mariners lack a true right fielder, so trading for either Duran or Abreu, but likely Abreu, makes a lot of sense. While Jerry Dipoto hasn’t been known to overpay, the AL West is fairly weak this season, and adding someone like Abreu could do wonders for a team scratching at the division title.
Kansas City Royals
The Royals are a team that should be competing for the AL Central title due to their pitching staff and Bobby Witt Jr., but the team kind of peters out after him. They’ve called up Jac Caglianone to try and help give the team some more firepower, but left field is still a glaring issue for the team. With Caglianone slated for right field and Kyle Isbel playing a respectable center, upgrading the final corner outfield spot with the likes of Jarren Duran seems like a deal the front office in Kansas City would be chomping at the bit to do. Duran is a better offensive player than current starter Drew Waters. On defense, Waters is currently posting a -0.4 DWAR, while Duran is just a tick above average at 0.1. That doesn’t seem like a huge upgrade, but as we’ve seen since Duran went on his tear in 2024, he can provide a spark necessary to push a team to where it needs to go. Duran would slot in as an instant leader in the clubhouse in Kansas City, and the move would take off some of the pressure the Boston media market puts on players, which could help him unlock a new level of his game.
Philadelphia Phillies
This is relative, but the Phillies are underperforming right now, thanks in large part to an injury bug that has bitten some of their superstar players. They’ve gone on a downhill slide the last couple of weeks and need a shot in the arm to get them back in the race with the NL East-leading Mets. Their outfield could stand for a huge upgrade in right field. Currently, Nick Castellanos mans right for the Phillies, and that’s a fairly big problem for them. He’s sitting at a -1.2 DWAR, and his slash line is fairly similar to Duran’s: .271/.326/.420 for Duran and .287/.327/.425 for Castellanos. Abreu’s batting line is worse than Duran’s, but he slides right into his natural position as a huge defensive upgrade. If the Phillies didn't want to displace Castellanos' bat from their lineup, they could easily look for an upgrade over Max Kepler in left field. Either way, both players would immediately slot into as starting role in Philly and be a legit addition for a team that is pushing to go back to another World Series.
St. Louis Cardinals
While they are not the most conventional pick here, I think the Cardinals and Red Sox stack up well for a deal to send either Duran or Abreu to the Gateway City. Lars Nootbaar is getting closer and closer to free agency (2027), and Jordan Walker seems like he’s a shell of himself in right field after being moved around the field and shuttled between Triple-A and the majors last season. I’ve pitched Walker as a reclamation project for the Red Sox before, because I think a simple change of scenery will do him wonders.
With his underperformance and Nootbaar's uncertain long-term status, there’s a couple of holes opening up in the Redbirds’ outfield (though Alec Burlson's emergence could fill one of those gaps). Enter Boston. There’s already a relationship between front offices after Craig Breslow brought in Tyler O’Neill before the 2024 season, so we know that there’s at least some lines of communication open there. Both Duran and Abreu would be immediate upgrades over Walker in right field or either of them could slot into left field and let Nootbaar shift to right. Busch Stadium is a very pitcher-friendly park, so both Duran and Abreu would be able to flash the leather and likely put their name back into contention for the Gold Glove award.
There are other teams that also make a bit of sense for either Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu, but they don’t match up quite like the four teams here. Each team has the mix of MLB talent and upper-level prospects to make a deal for younger, controllable pieces like Boston's outfield tandem. Even if the Red Sox light the world on fire between now and the trade deadline, someone in that outfield logjam is going to have to be traded, because it’s simply not possible for a team to play so many bodies in just three positions. Could the front office shock us all and trade someone like Rob Refsnyder instead? Sure, but the return would be minimal compared to what Duran or Abreu could bring back.
It's never easy to let go of homegrown players, but when someone like Roman Anthony is making his case for playing time, you accommodate him first, and figure out the rest later.
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