Kansas City Royals fans might have thought they’d heard the last of Jarren Duran trade rumors this winter, but there might be a scenario in which they return in a major way.
Duran, the All-Star outfielder for the Boston Red Sox, has been a reported target of the Royals all offseason. However, it’s become clear that the only return piece that interests Boston is Kansas City ace Cole Ragans, who the Royals are rightfully reluctant to give up.
If Ragans is off the table, that’s the end of the discussion. But due to Boston’s desperation to improve the roster in the wake of Alex Bregman’s unexpected departure to the Chicago Cubs, perhaps the possibility should be re-examined.
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Will Red Sox up the ante for Cole Ragans?
On Monday, insiders Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam of MassLive speculated that Boston might be willing to increase its offer to the Royals for Ragans, which would presumably have to include Duran and more, or potentially center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela instead of Duran if the Royals preferred him.
“The Red Sox could afford to include either Jarren Duran or Ceddanne Rafaela, plus a highly-regarded pitching prospect in exchange for a front-line starter, one who profiles as a legitimate front-of-the-rotation arm,” wrote Cotillo and McAdam.
“To this point, the Royals have been reluctant to discuss Cole Ragans in such a proposal, but that could change if the package was enhanced.”
There’s truthfully no reason for the Royals to go for Rafaela, a superior defender who is shaky with the bat, over Duran. Kansas City needs offense, and though Duran is streaky and not great at getting on base, he’s got a power-speed combination that would play well in Kansas City, even with new ballpark dimensions.
That said, the Royals would have to feel like the Red Sox were overpaying for Ragans, who, even coming off injury, is the only true star in Kansas City’s rotation heading into the new year. Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Noah Cameron, and Kris Bubic all have red flags of some kind.
It’s a possibility that’s worth monitoring as long as the Red Sox are still reeling from the loss of Bregman, which the Royals would have to play to their advantage.
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