On one hand, the Red Sox and fans of the team really, really want to see top prospect Roman Anthony in the big-league lineup sooner rather than later. Anthony has pretty much proven all he can possibly prove in the minor leagues, as he currently stands in Worcester with a .303 batting average, a ,430 on-base percentage, a .492 slugging percentage and the top overall prospect ranking from every outlet that compiles such rankings.
Infielder Kristian Campbell is up. Fellow infielder Marcelo Mayer is up, too. That’s two of the three top young players the Red Sox have, but there is just no room for Anthony.
Not yet, at least. Probably the only chance Boston has to create a spot for Anthony, outside of an injury, is for the team to trade away one of its trio of young outfielders–Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu–and insert Anthony.
And according to a report from The Athletic, Boston may soon have a chance to do just that, with the San Diego Padres gearing up to make a push to trade for Duran.
Jarren Duran Was an All-Star in 2024
It won’t be easy, as Duran is a popular figure both within the Red Sox organization and with the fan base, where his talent, hustle and heart-on-the-sleeve enthusiasm have made him beloved by Fenway denizens. Duran was the driving force that kept the Red Sox in the playoff mix for most of the 2024 season, as he batted .285 with an .834 OPS, leading MLB in doubles (48) and triples (14).
Duran has not matched that production this year, as he is batting .264 and his OPS is down to .718. Still, the Padres need help to keep up with the Dodgers and Giants in the stacked NL West.
Dennis Lin of The Athletic wrote: “As the Padres face a daunting upcoming schedule and glaring holes at the bottom of their lineup, their list of trade targets again includes Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, league sources told The Athletic. The Padres expressed interest in Duran ahead of the 2024 season, before veteran left fielder Jurickson Profar and then-rookie center fielder Jackson Merrill joined Duran as first-time All-Stars. Now, an underwhelming Red Sox team might consider Duran expendable.’
Red Sox Ready for Roman Anthony
And Anthony is, of course, the reason the Red Sox might feel Duran is expendable. Manager Alex Cora admitted this week that he understands the frustration of fans–and likely of Anthony–that he has not yet been called up.
“We’ve been having conversations,” Cora told WEEI. “We knew, at one point, Campbell was going to be part of [the MLB roster], it just happened on Opening Day. We knew Marcelo was going to contribute at one point, and he’s here already because of injuries. I know at some point Roman is going to be here.
“The timing is something, as an organization, we’re going to decide when. Obviously, he’s doing an outstanding job. He’s getting better. He’s not knocking at the door, he’s knocking it down, let’s be honest.”
Beloved Red Sox All-Star Being ‘Targeted’ by Padres for Trade: Report