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The Boston Red Sox’s outfield logjam is as familiar to fans as any other of the club’s roster problems, and it’s about time the whole thing goes away. Maybe it will finally happen this winter. <\/p>\n
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According to a recent report from MLB insider Bob Nightengale, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is open to moving Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu<\/a> in a trade, despite what Breslow wants the market to believe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the case of Duran, Breslow still has a willing trade partner in the Kansas City Royals, even after they already bolstered their outfield. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic<\/em> reported the situation on December 15. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n “Even after signing free agent Lane Thomas and trading for Isaac Collins, the Kansas City Royals are open to adding another outfielder \u2013 most notably Jarren Duran, if the Boston Red Sox lower their asking price,” Rosenthal revealed (subscription required).<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n According to Rosenthal, the Royals assume that Duran would cost them Cole Ragans, which is where the two sides may have stalled their initial discussions. Kansas City believes Ragans is a more valuable player than Duran, hence the hesitation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Some Red Sox fans are furrowing their brow at the Royals, whom they feel are falsely inflating Ragans’ value<\/a> as compared with Duran’s. Indeed, Duran’s had higher WAR over the past two seasons. Still, Duran’s drop-off from 2024 to 2025 didn’t help his value, and the value of a No. 1 or No. 2 starter in Ragans is hard to best unless you’re a perennial All-Star type player in the outfield, which Duran is not.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nThe Royals don’t seem happy with the idea of a Cole Ragans-Jarren Duran swap<\/h2>\n