Padres, Red Sox sound like even better match after latest trade deadline rumors

The San Diego Padres need another outfielder. That much is true. The Friars have gone through their struggles in left field this season, and they are one bat away from having a lethal outfield that already includes a pair of All-Stars in Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill.

One team that could match up well with San Diego is the Boston Red Sox. Their All-Star, Jarren Duran has recently been in the mix of the latest trade rumors, and the Friars have an interest in the 28-year-old. Duran is a Southern California native who went to Cypress High School, then Long Beach State. If the Padres play their cards right, this could be a match made in heaven to bolster San Diego's outfield.

Obviously, the Friars would have a hefty price to pay if they decided on pursuing Duran, who is a .271 hitter with 30 extra-base hits in 69 games this season. Would the Padres trade away even more top prospects to situate themselves among the best teams in Major League Baseball. Jim Bowden of The Athletic thinks San Diego might go back to that well.

"The Padres know they need another bat to lengthen their lineup and are focused on acquiring a left fielder. They might be willing to again dangle their best prospects to get it done as they try to take advantage of their roster’s window to win a World Series," Jim Bowden said.

The Padres traded away MacKenzie Gore, C.J. Abrams, Robert Hassell III, and James Wood three years ago to acquire Juan Soto, who only stayed with the team for one-and-a-half seasons. If the Padres decide to go after Duran, which would be justified, they would have to consider keeping him long-term. Dishing away another crop of prospects could potentially hurt the team again, but that might just be the price the Padres need to pay to contend for a World Series in 2025.