*PREDICTION*
All offseason long, the Philadelphia Phillies have been reported to be looking to acquire a right-handed power bat, particularly in the outfield.
The Phillies’ bullpen may have been the team’s biggest weakness throughout the 2025 season, but the outfield was just as problematic. Although the outfield played significantly better in the final months of the regular season after acquiring Harrison Bader from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline, it wasn’t enough to win a World Series.
The already skeptical outfield faces extreme uncertainty heading into 2026. Bader and Max Kepler are free agents, and veteran Nick Castellanos is expected to be traded or released this offseason.
The Phillies have Brandon Marsh, Johan Rojas, and Weston Wilson as their outfield options. Bryan De La Cruz and Pedro León were both acquired this offseason, but neither can be counted on for anything more than minor league depth.
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Justin Crawford, the Phillies’ No. 3 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, is expected to make the Opening Day roster and his highly anticipated MLB debut in 2026. The 21-year-old owns a .322 career batting average since being drafted 17th overall in the 2022 MLB Draft, including a .334 with 34 extra-base hits and 46 stolen bases during his first season at Triple-A in 2025.
The Phillies’ outfield would be unproven and a weakness, on paper, if the season started today. Luckily, the season doesn’t start today, and the Phillies still have time to make impact moves in the outfield.
Phillies Land Jarren Duran in Massive Trade Idea With Red Sox
Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies’ President of Baseball Operations, should look to his former employer to upgrade the outfield. Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran has been a popular name in trade rumors for quite some time, and it’s picking up steam once again with the Winter Meetings set to take place next week.
Duran has become expendable with the arrival of former top prospect Roman Anthony, who made his debut in June. The Red Sox also have Wilyer Abreu, who’s three years younger than the 29-year-old Duran.
Even with the Red Sox having extremely talented players in the early stages of their careers in the outfield, it doesn’t mean the team has to trade Duran. He’s under club control for three more seasons and gives them a better shot at winning a World Series than they would without him in the lineup.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently gave it a 50 percent chance that Duran would be traded this offseason, but noted that the Red Sox are valuing him at a high price. The Phillies were listed as one of the potential fits.
“The Red Sox are valuing Duran more like the seven-win player of 2024 than his 4-win version in 2025,” Passan wrote about a possible Duran trade. “Either way, his addition can instantaneously make a team better, and Boston can hold out for a big return because the Red Sox don’t have to deal him.”
After three non-full seasons to start his career, Duran broke out in a big way in 2024. He finished the year with a .285 batting average and an 8.7 bWAR while leading the majors with 48 doubles and 14 triples. He was one of the top players in baseball, earning the first All-Star selection of his career and finishing eighth in American League MVP voting.
Duran didn’t quite have the same success in 2025, but he still produced a solid season with the Red Sox. He batted .256 with 41 doubles, an AL-leading 13 triples, 16 home runs, 24 stolen bases, and a career-high 84 RBIs in 157 games. His 4.7 bWAR was significantly lower than the previous season, and he was just 1-for-11 at the plate in three playoff games.
With that being said, Duran would instantly become the Phillies’ best outfielder if they were to trade for him this offseason.
The Trade
Phillies Receive: OF Jarren Duran
The Phillies acquire an uber-talented outfielder with three more years of club control. Duran would give the Phillies yet another left-handed bat in the lineup, but it’s worth it for a player of his caliber.
Red Sox Receive: 3B Alec Bohm and one of either OF Johan Rojas, OF Brandon Marsh, or RHP Jean Cabrera (Phillies’ No. 11 prospect)
Alec Bohm has been in trade rumors over the last year or so, and the Phillies could look to move on from the 29-year-old third baseman, who will be a free agent after the season. A swap of former All-Stars could benefit both sides, especially with Alex Bregman being a free agent for the Red Sox.
The Phillies would likely need to put together a package of talent to meet the Red Sox’s high asking price for Duran. Including MLB talent such as Rojas or Marsh would provide the Red Sox with outfield depth to replace Duran and may be enough to complete this blockbuster. A pitching prospect on the cusp of the major leagues, like Cabrera, could also get the deal done due to the Red Sox’s commitment to improving their pitching staff.
Alec Bohm Career Stats
Bohm is a career .279 hitter across six seasons with the Phillies. He produced two consecutive seasons with 97 RBIs in 2023 and 2024, including a career-high 20 home runs in 2023 and a career-high 44 doubles in 2024.
Bohm has 70 career home runs and 395 RBIs. He slashed .287/.331/.409 with a .741 OPS, 18 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs, and 59 RBIs in 120 games in 2025.
Jarren Duran Career Stats
Duran is a career .267 hitter across five seasons with the Red Sox. The dynamic outfielder has 50 home runs, 226 RBIs, 91 stolen bases, and two consecutive seasons of 40-plus doubles and double-digit triples.