Reds must consider a move for Jarren Duran after Royals reveal Red Sox trade demands

If there's one player who'd be a perfect fit for the Cincinnati Reds heading into the 2026 season, it's Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran. An All-Star and MVP candidate in 2024, Duran had a down-year in 2025 and still hit .256/.332/.442 with 16 home runs, 84 RBI, and a 114 OPS+. Those type of numbers would easily place Duran among the top-3 hitters on the Reds roster last season.

Cincinnati's in dire need of some pop in the middle of their batting order. After missing out on Kyle Schwarber — and showing no inclination to shop at the top-end of the free agent market — the most likely route for the Reds to upgrade the lineup will come through a trade. Duran should be atop the Reds' wishlist.

But the price tag could be mighty steep The Kansas City Royals may have just revealed what the Red Sox will be looking for in return. According to The Athletic (subscription required), the Royals are under the impression Duran would cost them left-hander Cole Ragans. If that's really the type of player Boston is targeting, Nick Lodolo would likely be the ask if the Reds entered the conversation.

Red Sox may ask for Nick Lodolo if the Reds were looking to trade for Jarren Duran

Lodolo and Ragans share a lot of similarities. When healthy, both lefties are frontline starters. Lodolo has 76 games under his belt and owns a 4.06 ERA with 456 strikeouts over 409 innings of work. Ragan, who has spent some time in the bullpen, has 66 starts over 83 appearances and a 3.66 ERA across 384 innings pitched. The Royals' left-hander has accumulated 461 punch outs in his career.

There are a few differences, as Lodolo is under team control through 2027 while Ragans has an extra year of arbitration eligibility remaining. Ragans' strikeout numbers (38.1 K-rate) were among the best in baseball last season, and Lodolo relies a bit more on control (4.8% BB-rate).

There are enough similarities between the two, however, to assume that the Red Sox would looking at Lodolo as the centerpiece of any trade involving Duran. Whether or not Boston would require an extra prospect or two to sweeten the deal is unknown, but one has to assume that Cincinnati would have to be willing to part with one of their starters in order to even move the talks past the preliminary phase of negotiations.

If trading Lodolo — whose injury history makes his future with the Reds questionable — could help Cincinnati land a top-flight talent like Duran, the front office must consider it. While Nick Krall and others within the organization have dismissed the idea of trading from their pitching depth in order to bolster the roster, it may be the only meaningful way this team can actually make some headway and improve the lineup heading into 2026.