Padres trade proposal lands oft-desired 8.7 WAR outfielder in three-team deal

The San Diego Padres are gearing up to make some moves at the MLB trade deadline. With interest in catchers, outfielders, designated hitters, starting pitching, and even bullpen arms, there's no shortage of trade targets for A.J. Preller.

For The Athletic's Jim Bowden, there's one deal he'd love to see Preller and the Padres make at the deadline. And this trade proposal isn't a normal one; it's a three-team blockbuster that lands San Diego their most desired outfielder at the deadline.

Bowden outlined the entire trade proposal: "Red Sox get: RHP Edward Cabreera from Marlins. Padres get: LF Jarren Duran from Red Sox. Marlins get: C Ethan Salas from Padres, RHP Luis Perales from Red Sox."

It's a huge deal, and for the Padres, they'd be able to bring in Duran for only Salas. Considering that Sean McAdam of Masslive.com reported that the Padres offered Salas, Dylan Cease, and another prospect for Duran and were turned down, this proposal is a dream scenario.

Duran is an incredible outfielder, and while he isn't living up to the heights he showed in 2024 when he had 8.7 WAR and led the league in doubles (48) and triples (14), he's still been a good outfielder for Boston.

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He has a .254 average with a .321 on-base percentage and a .428 slugging percentage this season. His .748 OPS is a bit lower than his .834 OPS from 2024, but he's still an above-average hitter.

While his defense, -3 Outs Above Average according to Baseball Savant, isn't the best, he'd still be a huge upgrade in left field for the Padres. It'd allow Gavin Sheets to move to designated hitter and improve the team overall.

Adding a player like Duran, at only the cost of Salas, would be an incredible deal for the Padres. While Salas is the team's No. 2 prospect, he's dealing with a stress reaction in his back and hasn't played well (.188 average) in his limited action this season.

Duran is under team control through 2028 and is on a reasonably cheap ($3.85 million) deal for a player of his caliber. San Diego would walk away from this deal as massive winners, especially with the context from McAdam on their offer, which was previously declined.

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