Red Sox Trade Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu

Roman Anthony was the consensus top prospect in baseball, but it took Wilyer Abreu going on the injured list with a left oblique strain for the the 21-year-old to finally get promoted to The Show.

We'll see if the Red Sox turn around what has been a disappointing season, but there's definitely an argument from a long-term perspective that they should move one of the team's current starting outfielders to clear a spot for Anthony permanently.

Ceddanne Rafaela has experience playing all over the diamond, but he has settled in as one of the top defenders in all of baseball as a center fielder, where he has 10 defensive runs saved and nine outs above average this season. So, it seems unlikely the Red Sox would move the versatile 24-year-old.

What's more likely is that either Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu is moved. And there will be plenty of interest in both.

Duran has already been reported as a piece of interest to the San Diego Padres by Dennis Lin of The Athletic . The 28-year-old led baseball in both doubles and triples last season, and again finds himself in the lead in terms of triples this season.

What the Red Sox—and any potential suitors—will have to decide is whether they think he can ever replicate the 6.7 WAR he posted last year, or if he's more of a three- or four-win player who had one superstar season.

The 2024 version of Duran is the type of player who is untouchable. But his value right now might be at its peak because he hasn't yet conclusively proved last year was an outlier, although he isn't performing at that same level overall again.

If the Red Sox hold onto Duran—who can't become a free agent until after 2028—Abreu would also net them something really good in return, assuming he gets healthy.

The 25-year-old has a .795 OPS and 24 defensive runs saved in right field in parts of three MLB seasons. He won't even become arbitration-eligible until 2027.

The Red Sox don't have to trade anyone, but with so much position-playing talent, flipping one of their surplus of star outfielders might be the best move for the franchise. From here, Duran seems the most likely to be dealt.

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