The New York Mets are once again looking for a solution in center field this offseason after barely scraping by at the position last year. They attempted to strengthen the spot at the trade deadline by acquiring Cedric Mullins, but the move turned out poorly, and the team is now allowing him to enter free agency.
With Mullins out of the picture, New York must fill the vacancy either through free agency or another trade, as they can’t afford a repeat of last season’s situation, when they lacked a dependable center fielder.
With Roman Anthony joining the roster, the Red Sox now have more outfielders than available spots. Anthony is set to take over left field, Ceddanne Rafaela is expected to remain in center, and either Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu will handle right. Mike Axisa of CBS Sports reveal that the team will trade Duran.
“Jarren Duran, 29, is older and closer to free agency than Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, et al, making him the obvious trade candidate,” Axisa wrote on CBS Sports. “The Mets could put him in center field, a position he is more than capable of playing, until Benge arrives, then slide Durran over to left and get lockdown defense there. Duran would bring a dynamic power/speed threat to the lineup as well. The Mets have pitching to trade and need an outfielder. The Red Sox have outfielders to trade and need pitching.”
According to Spotrac, Duran still has three years of team control left, including the 2026 season, which means the Mets would likely need to part with a prospect like Jonah Tong or Brandon Sproat to get a deal done. Another possible path would be persuading Boston to take Kodai Senga if New York is willing to cover most of his contract. Senga is considered a buy-low option this offseason and could appeal to a Red Sox club seeking rotation help.
If the Mets are serious about targeting Duran, they’ll need to move quickly, as other contenders are expected to pursue him as well.
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