How aggressive the Cincinnati Reds plan to be at this year’s MLB trade deadline remains a major question, and it’s one that team president Nick Krall must soon answer. If the Reds are aiming to make a bold, high-impact move before July 31, then Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran should be a key target on their radar.
The 28-year-old Duran is a high-level talent and remains under team control for several more years. This season, he’s posted a .258 batting average with a .318 on-base percentage and .431 slugging, along with 8 home runs, 50 RBIs, 16 steals, and a 107 OPS+. While he’s capable of handling center field, Duran has mainly played left for Boston in 2025, with Ceddanne Rafaela patrolling center. With Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and top prospect Roman Anthony in the mix, Boston might consider moving Duran—though it won’t come cheap.
If the Reds want to land Duran, they’ll likely need to part with a top-tier starting pitcher like Nick Lodolo. The Red Sox are hungry for pitching, and Cincinnati has some depth in that department. Assuming Andrew Abbott and Chase Burns are off-limits, names like Hunter Greene, Rhett Lowder, Chase Petty, and Lodolo would come into play.
Jarren Duran
But Greene and Lowder are both currently sidelined, and Petty has struggled since his MLB debut. That leaves Lodolo—who, despite past injuries, has been one of the Reds’ most reliable arms in 2025. Following his latest start against the Mets, Lodolo is just shy of setting a new personal best in innings pitched and carries an impressive 3.33 ERA across 20 starts, going six or more innings in 12 of them.
This is the kind of tough call Cincinnati must make if Duran becomes their top outfield target. While there are other options on the market, Duran might be the most significant outfielder available. The Reds would have to weigh whether giving up a healthy, controllable starter is worth the upgrade in the outfield—and that’s the price of doing business with Boston as the deadline looms.
