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July is always one of the most interesting months in the baseball season. As of this writing, we are two days away from the All-Star break and there has been constant news swirling around the Red Sox since the month began. Notably, a report came out on July 7 stating that approximately a dozen teams were interested in acquiring Jarren Duran. While not surprising that teams are in on him with how he’s performed lately, we received some more detailed news on Friday, July 11 saying that the San Diego Padres have been “relentless” in their pursuit of Duran and have approached the Red Sox multiple times about trading for the left fielder, per MassLive’s Sean McAdam.
Alongside the Duran news, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic offered up some pointed remarks about the Red Sox trading their biggest free agent signing of the offseason, Alex Bregman. In short, don’t expect it to happen. Let’s take a dive into both rumors and see what they could mean for the team moving forward.
Jarren Duran is the Padres’ Big Target
Last month, I wrote about how the Red Sox and Padres didn’t match up super well on a deal for Duran. As of this writing, I still don’t disagree, but with the report coming out that the Padres have approached the Sox repeatedly trying to acquire Duran, that has to mean that they are willing to overextend themselves to land him. If that’s the case, get the deal done. On July 10, ESPN’s Jeff Passan published his ‘Top Moves for Contenders’ piece where he identified Duran as the best match for the Padres, due to their lack of having a capable left fielder on the roster. In that, Passan assumes that the Padres’ top prospect, shortstop Leo De Vries, is off-limits in trade discussions but mentions their second ranked prospect, catcher Ethan Salas. Salas would be a huge get for the Sox, but one that doesn’t fill a pressing need for the team since the emergence of rookie Carlos Narvaez has more or less filled the backstop position for the near future. He does make a point to say that the Padres could involve a third team or make a number of their top-tier relievers available in a potential deal for Duran while noting that San Diego is “willing to go places most other organizations would never consider.” We’ve seen the Padres get creative to bring in players they covet before, so if they truly want Duran, Breslow and the rest of the front office may be fine playing the waiting game with them to force the Padres’ hand and land the players and prospects they feel can be contributors in Boston for seasons to come.
Alex Bregman Hopefully Isn’t Going Anywhere
Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden reported on July 9 that if the Red Sox and Alex Bregman didn’t come to an agreement on a contract extension before the deadline, the third baseman could be traded to the Mariners, Brewers, or Tigers. A mere two days later, Bowden’s co-worker at The Athletic refuted those claims as aforementioned. Rosenthal rightfully brings up the question of, in a deal of Bregman, what would the Red Sox be hoping to get in return? The team needs a No. 2 starter and bullpen help more than anything. While Bregman would net a decent return, he’s not getting you high-leverage arms alone given his age and contract. The Sox could pay down a bit of the roughly $13 million that he’s owed over the remainder of the season to help increase the return package, but you’d likely be looking at prospects coming back to Boston. Right now, that’s not what the Red Sox need to push their chips to the center and go all in. Rosenthal says that the rumors of Bregman being shipped out at the deadline are preposterous.
Good.
Bregman is a leader in the clubhouse and seemingly the go-to advice guy for rookies Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer. He was playing out of his mind at the time of the injury and will be looking to return to form as the Red Sox seem to finally be figuring out how to play consistent, winning baseball in a post-Rafael Devers world. Having him around through the rest of this season, and the rest of his career, would bode well for the future of the franchise. Trading him for pennies on the dollar is shortsighted and makes the team far less likely to be competitive down the line.
As the weekend kicks off, expect more rumors and "leaks" to start showing up on your social media feeds. It may subside slightly during the beginning of the All-Star break, but it will kick into high gear immediately after the Midsummer Classic ends. Don’t be surprised to see Jarren Duran traded across the country, though I think we’d all be shocked if Alex Bregman played for another team this season.
What do you think of the latest round of rumors surrounding the Red Sox? Let us know in the comments!
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