Take Jen for what she's worth then, because Paredes would NOT have been a one year rental if he was traded for. Sox would have control of him through 2027. If she doesn't even know the basic facts, how would she know how the Astros would evaluate Duran or what the Astros were asking for.
When I'm saying the Astros WANTED Abreu and not Duran, it's with the hindsight of 20/20 and what we heard after the Durbin signing. There were conflicting and mixed reports prior to then. Some radio shows saying the Astros were prepared to deal multiple players for Duran (laughable). A day later, another Houston guy said Duran wasn't involved in any trade negotiations at the time. What we know now is that they asked for Abreu and the Sox said no. Sox countered with Duran and Houston couldn't figure it out as they weren't inclined to move Paredes in a deal for Duran.