Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran has been a hot topic over the last few weeks for the organization.
First and foremost, he has struggled offensively. In May, he looked like himself and tore the cover off the ball. Things changed throughout the month of June. Duran has played in 22 games throughout the month and is slashing .148/.174/.239 with a .413 OPS. That's not going to cut it. With the trade deadline coming in August, Duran naturally has been talked about as a potential trade chip. He has struggled so much in June that it would be nearly impossible to get a good return for him right now.
Plus, there was an incident with a fan on Saturday in which Duran and a fan went back and forth and the fan was ejected.
It's been a tough season, to say the least. The trade chatter surely isn't going to stop, but it would be hard for Boston to get a good value in return for him right now. He has All-Star upside, but isn't playing like it right now.
Recently, Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer pitched a mock trade that would send Duran to the Arizona Diamondbacks, but it's a perfect example of arguably not getting enough value in return.
"Best Landing Spot: Arizona Diamondbacks," Rymer wrote. "According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, the D-backs are telling teams they want to add left-handed power. If one is so inclined, one can connect that dot to another from Sean McAdam of MassLive about Arizona's fondness for Jarren Duran.
"It isn't a reach, given that even this diminished version of Duran could upgrade a left field spot that has produced only 0.3 rWAR. The Snakes also have right-handed bats to offer Boston, including former top prospect Jordan Lawlar. Trade Proposal: Diamondbacks get LF Jarren Duran; Red Sox get SS Jordan Lawlar."
This isn't to say Lawlar isn't an intriguing player. He's 23 years old and is a former first-round pick. But he has just 54 games of big league experience since 2022. He has upside, but there's risk there. Boston can't afford a lottery ticket.