The Boston Red Sox are having trouble finding a way to get their best prospect on the field in the big leagues. They could solve that problem by making a trade to clear the way for him.
The Red Sox called up their No.2 prospect Marcelo Mayer over the weekend. However, Roman Anthony, who is the top prospect in all of baseball, is still in Triple-A. The outfielder does not have a clear path to the big leagues as Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and Jarren Duran have been the primary outfielders. Rafaela has struggled lately, but Anthony remains in Triple-A.
Soon, Masataka Yoshida will also enter the outfield mix, further complicating things. Newsweek’s Jon Vankin proposed the idea that the Red Sox trade Duran, who was an All-Star last season, to the San Diego Padres to make room for Anthony.
“But the Red Sox have yet to find a place for Anthony with all three outfield spots occupied,” wrote Vankin. “Trading left fielder Jarren Duran, the MVP of the 2024 All-Star Game, to San Diego would open up that spot for Anthony. Duran would make an attractive target for the Padres, on an economical $3.75 million one-year contract and under team control through 2028. His contract contains a 2026 club option for $8 million, but if that option is declined, Duran would again be eligible for salary arbitration.”
Anthony has a .971 OPS in Triple-A and has given the team every reason to call him up. Meanwhile, Duran, while still playing well, has seen a slight decline.
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“Why would the Red Sox part with Duran? The fact is, he simply is not living up to the standards he set last year, so far,” wrote Vankin. “His OPS is down to .762 from .834 last season. He belted 21 home runs in 2024. At his current pace, given the same number of plate appearances (735), he would hit only 12 this year. Defensively, in his All-Star season, Duran led all centerfielders who played at least 800 innings at the position with 17 defensive runs saved, according to Fangraphs. Playing almost exclusively left field this time around, Duran currently has a DRS number of just one.”
The Red Sox have a clear need that the Padres could help fill at first base. Utility man Gavin Sheets can play first base and would give Alex Cora another option there with Triston Casas out. However, Sheets alone would not be enough.
“The Padres trade package would also likely include prospects. The Red Sox, in need of big league-ready relief pitching, could take righty fireballer Francis Pena, who currently has 22 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings for the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas,” wrote Vankin. “Pena continues to struggle with control, but could provide a much-needed fresh arm in waiting for an overtaxed Red Sox bullpen.”
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