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The Boston Red Sox are bound to make some waves at the trade deadline. They have a few pieces to move, but more importantly, they need to upgrade their starting pitching rotation.
To do so, the Red Sox might have to trade big league talent. ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently suggested the Red Sox could use Jarren Duran as a trade piece and suggested the Cincinnati Reds could be a potential landing spot for the All-Star.
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“For the variety of options the Reds have offensively, they find themselves one impact bat light, which is why turning their surplus of starting pitching into a high-end outfielder is a reasonable goal. Is it realistic, though? Not particularly,” Passan wrote. “They’re not inclined to trade Hunter Greene under a team-friendly contract unless it’s for a star, and as good as Duran has been and as talented as Steven Kwan is, neither passes muster at that threshold.
“Andrew Abbott, on the other hand, is putting up the sorts of numbers that Boston is seeking from a starter, but with a fastball at 92 mph, he doesn’t scream front-of-the-rotation guy.”
If Boston is hunting pitchers, the Reds are the team to talk to. While Hunter Greene and Chase Burns are almost certainly untouchable, the Red Sox could target Andrew Abbott, Rhett Lowder, Chase Petty, Nick Lodolo, or Nick Martinez to find the starting pitcher they want.
Adding Duran would be a huge move for Cincinnati’s future. Considering how much depth and talent the Reds have in terms of starting pitching, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them sell high on Abbott or Lodolo if it’s going to land them a controllable star like Duran.
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