The Cincinnati Reds need more impact in their lineup, and the most realistic place to find it is in the outfield. That’s been the case for a while, and so has their reported interest in the Boston Red Sox’s crowded outfield group.
Once again, they’ve been linked to a Boston outfielder — this time by ESPN. In Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel’s rankings of the offseason’s top trade candidates, Jarren Duran landed at No. 7 with a 50-50 chance of being moved. Among his best fits: the Reds.
That connection makes perfect sense. Duran checks nearly every box Cincinnati is looking for. He posted a 111 wRC+, hit 16 homers, and stole 24 bases in 2025 while playing mainly left field. As a left-handed hitter with power and speed, he’d slide naturally into the top of Terry Francona’s order.
A bit further down the list at No. 13 is Wilyer Abreu, Boston’s Gold Glove right fielder who launched 22 home runs in 115 games last season. Yet despite his production, the Reds weren’t listed among his potential landing spots.
Wilyer Abreu may actually be a better fit for the Reds than Jarren Duran
There’s logic behind favoring Duran. He plays left field — Cincinnati’s biggest outfield need — whereas Abreu handles right field, a spot the Reds may eventually earmark for Noelvi Marte.
And while Duran has flashed a higher ceiling, including a 6.8-fWAR season and a top-10 MVP finish in 2024, that level looks increasingly like an outlier. His 2025 campaign (3.9 fWAR) put him much closer to his 2023 performance (2.5 fWAR).
He’s still a highly valuable player, just not necessarily the perennial All-Star the Red Sox reportedly view him as — and that valuation could make a deal tough for Cincinnati.
Abreu, on the other hand, is a rising star. He’s a better defender than Duran, offers substantial power (.223 ISO), and compensates for not being as fast. He’s also three years younger and comes with an extra year of team control. Given the circumstances, Abreu is arguably the more sensible trade target for the Reds right now.