The young slugger might not fit the Guardians' timeline.
The Boston Red Sox are expected to be active at the trade deadline, and there's a possibility that they'll buy and sell some.
If the Red Sox look to move anyone, one name that has continued to pop up is Jarren Duran, a young outfielder who has proven to be an All-Star-caliber player.
Unfortunately, there have been parts throughout this season when Duran has struggled a bit, but he's starting to figure it out in July, posting an OPS above 1,000. This is the type of player the Red Sox expected him to be, even if he's playing better than he has for much of his career.
If he did most of what he's doing this month at a full-time level, there's a strong argument to be made that he'd be one of the better players in baseball.
That might excite teams at the deadline, and the Cleveland Guardians may be one of them.
When looking at potential deals for Emanuel Clase, Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently noted that if they move on from him, he's one of the players the Guardians should be calling on.
"The Guardians need offense. If they trade Clase, they need to focus on young bats," Bowden wrote. "Offer him to the Dodgers for Andy Pages. Offer him to the Phillies for Aidan Miller. Offer him to the Rangers for Sebastian Walcott. Offer him to the Tigers for Kevin McGonigle. Offer him to the Yankees for Spencer Jones. Offer him to the Red Sox for Jarren Duran. You get my point."
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Now, unlike some of the other players listed, Duran is a lot older.
While he's a very good player and could be utilized in Cleveland, he doesn't exactly align with the timeline of rebuilding.
If they're moving on from Clase, the Guardians are essentially saying that they don't plan on competing for the next year or so.
Category: Baseball
