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Philadelphia Phillies' Jarren Duran Trade Rumors Need to Stop
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- Philadelphia Phillies' Jarren Duran Trade Rumors Need to Stop
The Philadelphia Phillies are in dire need of outfield assistance, but are they so desperate that they would seriously swing a trade for Jarren Duran?
For quite some time now, we have heard the Phillies pitched as a prime destination for Duran, who is expected to be dealt by the Boston Red Sox this offseason.
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But it's not something Philadelphia should be actively pursuing .
A couple of years ago, my answer would have been different. After all, Duran was then coming off of a brilliant 2024 campaign in which he slashed .285/.342/.492 with 21 home runs and 75 RBI over 735 plate appearances.
That season, Duran led the majors in both doubles (48) and triples (14), and he also stole 34 bases. Oh, and he batted .329 in high-leverage situations.
Since then, though, the 29-year-old has declined considerably.
Duran slashed a respectable .256/.332/.442 with 16 homers and 84 RBI in 2025, posting 41 doubles and 13 triples. His numbers were good for a .774 OPS.
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But then, this past season, the former seventh-round pick batted just .207 with a .627 OPS, watching his doubles (15) and triples (five) absolutely plummet. And while he has still been good defensively, he has fallen off tremendously from where he was two years ago.
Duran is under club control through 2028, which makes him a somewhat appealing bounce-back candidate, especially considering that the Red Sox couldn't possibly ask for too much in return at this point.
But at his core, Duran is a lifetime .254/.314/.432 hitter. He's been decent; not great, and it's possible his career took a permanent turn for the worse in 2026.
On top of all of that, Duran isn't exactly the greatest clubhouse guy, which is another big reason why Boston is expected to dump him.
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The Phillies need actual solutions in their outfield; not reclamation projects. That's why players such as Seiya Suzuki and Randy Arozarena make sense. Duran, on the other hand, is too much of a risk.
Philadelphia does not have a whole lot of prospect capital to begin with, so wasting some of it — even if it's just a small amount — on Duran would not be advisable.
Maybe Duran will ultimately rebound with a change of scenery next spring, but the Phillies shouldn't be the team to test that possibility.
There are better, safer options for Philadelphia, and those are the ones Dave Dombrowski should explore.
