Red Sox OF Jarren Duran reportedly drawing interest from Royals

Jarren Duran continues to build buzz on the trade market.

The Royals have made an attempt to acquire the standout outfielder, but the Red Sox’ asking price has been “too high” for Kansas City, MLB.com’s Anne Rogers recently reported. It wasn’t reported what Boston’s asking price was for Duran.

As Rogers pointed out, the Red Sox and Royals make sense as trade partners for a deal involving Duran. Kansas City has been rumored to be willing to trade some of its pitching to get outfield help this offseason, with Kansas City being open to moving lefty Kris Bubic this offseason, The Athletic‘s Will Sammon reported earlier in November. Bubic, 28, is entering his final year of team control, but went 8-7 with a 2.55 ERA in 20 starts last season.

If Bubic and other Royals starting pitchers weren’t involved in those trade talks, there aren’t many other players on Kansas City’s big league roster that it might move for Duran in a deal that makes sense for either team. Beyond pitching help, the Red Sox’ infield situation is uncertain for 2026, while the Royals are seeking to make the playoffs for the second time in three years.

As for the Royals’ prospect situation, their farm system is viewed too highly. Their farm system was ranked 25th in baseball by MLB.com in August, while ESPN ranked the group 27th in September. Catchers Carter Jensen and Blake Mitchell are the top two prospects in the Royals’ farm system, per MLB.com. Three hitters round out the top five, while there are four pitchers in the back half of the top 10.

It’s been rumored for several months that the Red Sox could trade Duran to help deal with their glut of outfielders. The Padres reportedly made a run at Duran ahead of the trade deadline in July, and the Twins were rumored to have asked for Duran in a trade involving Joe Ryan. More recently, The Athletic‘s Jim Bowden reported that it was expected Duran would get traded this offseason.

Duran, 29, had another standout season for the Red Sox in 2025. He hit .256 with .774 OPS, 16 home runs, and 84 RBIs in 157 games. He was also third in the American League in doubles (41), led the American League in triples (13) and had 24 stolen bases.

That performance followed a 2024 campaign that saw Duran finish top-10 in AL MVP voting. But Boston didn’t make a long-term commitment with Duran like it has with some of its other top young players, leading to some speculation about his future with the ballclub.

Duran is under team control for three more seasons, with him and the Red Sox recently agreeing to a one-year, $7.7 million deal for the 2026 season.