Revisiting what Jarren Duran could look like in San Diego’s lineup
Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Is it time to revisit a Jarren Duran trade?
Yes.
It’s no secret that Jarren Duran has been the Padres radar for some time now. In 2024, the Padres were heavily connected to Duran during the trade deadline. One industry insider noted that the Padres’ advances on the Mexican player were “relentless.”
Duran is fresh off a career-worst full campaign with the Boston Red Sox. Ignoring his first two seasons, in which he played fewer than 60 games, 2026 was a rough outing for the Californian native. With that said, is it now time to buy low on Duran?
In 151 games, Duran slashed .207/.266/.361 with a .627 OPS. His 0.4 bWAR season is a far cry from his 9.0 bWAR campaign of 2024. With that said, the version of the hitter AJ Preller fell in love with is still very much there.
Duran blasted 20 homers in 2026, just one off of his career high. He also stole 21 bases and drove in 69 runs, just six off from 2024. He notably shifted into a platoon role because of his massive offensive struggles against lefties in particular. As a result, Duran started only 138 games and got about 100 fewer at-bats compared to 2024.
It’s not like he was useless situationally; Duran had 135 AB’s with RISP and slugged 0.474. Additionally, Duran was a menace on the bases; his 21 stolen bases are supported by his overwhelming speed. It was this speed that provided Boston with three runs thanks to extra bases taken.
Where does Duran fit, on a basic level?
Well, he is essentially a lefty power bat with strong situational batting skills and baserunning capability. Ironically, the Padres already have a version of this in Jackson Merill. However, the Padres always need lefty power, especially when obvious choices like Merill or Gavin Sheets are struggling.
That’s just from a lineup perspective. For a few years, left field has been a gaping hole for the Padres. While there are a few options on the free agent market, Duran, as a career left fielder, is invaluable for the Padres. An everyday left fielder would strengthen the Padres’ core immensely and complete one of the final pieces of the roster.
Of course, his declining metrics will always alarm most; however, there’s plenty to be optimistic about in his game.
For one, Duran’s bat speed has remained relatively the same over the past three years. In 2026, he swung at around 75 MPH, faster than Manny Machado. As a power-hitter, he is still more than capable of getting great pop. The main issue is just getting those balls into play. Duran has been a high-strikeout guy, but his lack of discipline certainly hurt his year. His BABIP this year was .252, implying that a meaningful change in his approach could turn him back into a more well-rounded hitter.
All the pieces are there; it’s just a matter of moving them around into the right places. The main issue, as is always the case, comes down to what the Padres give up.
Jarren Duran is a free agent in 2029, and a player with that much control who could bounce back at any time doesn’t come cheap. However, the Padres have a chance to buy low on the lefty.
As far as expendability goes, a few names come to mind. Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta, and Freddy Fermin at the moment seem to be at the peak of their value as far as the current rostered Padres go. However, Matsui decided this offseason to stay with the club, meaning he wants to continue to be a Padre. With that said, Peralta would be the ideal choice.
As far as lefty pitchers go, outside of Aroldis Chapman, the Red Sox could benefit from added bullpen depth. They don’t offer the same longevity as Duran. However, they could be beneficial for a team that was largely marred by pitching in the playoffs.
Fermin is a unique case, as the Red Sox infamously nabbed catchers Adley Rutchman and Jake Rogers at the 2026 trade deadline. This gave them a new everyday catcher and sidelined Connor Wong. Rogers is a free agent in 2027, and Rutchman is only with the team for another year, meaning the Red Sox might be open to replacing Wong. Taking Fermin could put too many cooks in the kitchen but deliver a far better secondary defensive option for the Sox. Fermin is up for a Gold Glove award in 2026 and is a free agent in 2030. He ranks 37th in active players’ career defensive WAR leaderboards. Rutchman ranks 73rd.
Depending on the major leaguers the Padres could deal, it seems they wouldn’t have to pay too much in prospects to reel in Duran.
The only question remaining is whether the Padres are willing to go for it after falling short of doing so for so long.
