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There is no secret that the Boston Red Sox have been shopping Jarren Duran for weeks. Boston currently has an abundance of riches in the outfield and is likely to deal one of them in the near future. Duran has become the most likely trade candidate due to his increasing value. Trading the All-Star can help bring back a substantial piece of the puzzle at another position.

While Duran is an attractive player for other teams, the Red Sox may be overvaluing the outfielder at the moment. According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, Boston is negotiating a potential Duran trade with the Kansas City Royals. The MLB insider claims that the Red Sox want to get Cole Ragans in return for the unwanted outfielder.

The swap would seemingly make sense for both teams. Both Duran and Ragans are about the same age and under team control for the next three seasons. Kansas City would also like to acquire another solid outfielder, while Boston wants to add a true frontline starter to their rotation.

Despite this, Rosenthal believes that the Royals value Ragans higher than Duran. In fact, Kansas City views the starting pitcher as a true ace. As a result, the Red Sox are likely going to have to add at least another player in the mix to get Ragans. It remains to be seen if Boston is willing to do this.

Boston Red Sox are Being Patient in their Pursuit of Cole Ragans

GettyCole Ragans has proven to be a top pitcher when healthy.

Ragans earned a spot on the American League All-Star roster during a stellar 2024 season. The pitcher finished the campaign with a 5.0 WAR, 3.14 ERA, and a league-leading 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings. He ultimately finished fourth in the Cy Young voting at the time, which was won by Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.

Despite the impressive season, Ragans was limited to just 13 starts in 2025 due to rotator cuff problems. The former Texas Ranger posted an ERA of 5.18 in 10 games before suffering the setback. After three months on the sidelines, Ragans returned in September with better results. He did not allow a run and recorded eight strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings in his final start of the 2025 season.

Boston’s hesitations to meet Kansas City’s demands may be because of the pitcher’s injury history. In fact, Ragans previously missed all of 2018 and 2019 due to two Tommy John surgeries. The pitcher was in the minor league system of the Rangers at the time. Ragans has managed to make more than 13 starts in a season just once in his MLB career.

Acquiring Ragans Would Solidify Boston’s Front of the Rotation

The Red Sox could be comfortable in their standoff with Kansas City because the Royals may not have better options than Duran. According to Rosenthal, Kansas City is also interested in making a move for St. Louis Cardinals‘ Brendan Donovan. However, the potential deal involving the versatile player is complicated. The Seattle Mariners or San Francisco Giants are more likely landing spots for Donovan.

Assuming a deal is eventually worked out between Boston and Kansas City, Ragans would be a solid addition to the Red Sox rotation. Boston already has a bona fide ace in Garrett Crotchet and recently acquired Sonny Gray from the Cardinals. Adding Ragans to the mix may give the team a noticeable edge in the postseason.

Christopher Moore Christopher Moore has been a Heavy.com contributor since 2025. With over a decade of experience in the industry, he has published thousands of articles reporting on multiple professional sports. He was previously a sports writer for World Soccer Talk, the Yahoo! Contributor Network, and the Maryland Sports Blog. More about Christopher Moore

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