Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran has probably accepted by now that trade rumors are part of his yearly existence as a Major League Baseball player.
On a team with three standout outfielders who are all younger and under team control longer than he is, Duran could be the lone veteran bat to bring back anything of value for the Red Sox this summer. After a four-hit game on Wednesday, the 29-year-old bumped his season OPS up to .672, within spitting distance of league average and 140 points up from where it was 10 games prior.
So if this is the year Duran is finally on the move, which teams could be involved in his market? Two months from the trade deadline is anything but too early to start circling those best fits.
San Diego Padres
If we know Duran has one fan outside the Red Sox organization, it's Padres general manager AJ Preller. The game's most aggressive front office executive has taken multiple swings at landing Duran in the past, and it might be music to his ears if
Here's the catch: San Diego's outfield is in a surprisingly good spot so far, thanks to the standout contributions of Gavin Sheets. But it wouldn't hurt to have one more bat to cover up the lackluster performances of Ramón Laureano and Nick Castellanos, especially with Fernando Tatís Jr. playing more second base than expected.
Philadelphia Phillies
We know the Phillies have an appetite for blockbusters in their own regard, and Adolis García's production as the new right fielder has been abysmal to this point. Rookie Justin Crawford has been below replacement level in center field as well. An infusion of talent makes a lot of sense for a group that feels the weight of four straight playoff disappointments.
Duran could ostensibly play any of the three outfield spots in Citizens Bank Park, where he homered against Phillies ace Zack Wheeler to lead off a game last July. One would have to imagine president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski took notice that day.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona general manager Mike Hazen has to be proud of the moves he made -- and didn't make -- this offseason. Trading second baseman Ketel Marte for a package involving Duran probably would have been a mistake. But that doesn't make Duran a bad fit for the D-backs if they can somehow get him without giving up Marte.
Obviously, Duran isn't worth Marte on his own, so Arizona could potentially get the job done with prospects. Admittedly, this is a fairly pedestrian farm system, especially in terms of position players, but switch-hitting infielder Jansel Luis could be an interesting name to watch.