Spring training auditions may decide if Reds can realistically chase Jarren Duran

Boston Red Sox outfieler Jarren Duran — a player who's been mentioned in several trade rumors throughout the offseason — has always felt like a natural fit for the Cincinnati Reds. His power and speed combination, coupled with the fact that he plays left field (a position of need for the Reds) had several fans hoping Cincinnati's front office would strike a deal with Boston.

But given Duran's résumé and contract situation — he's under team control through 2028 — the price tag to acquire the former All-Star was always assumed to be outside of the Reds' comfort zone.

Many experts have cited Boston's desire for starting pitching, which is something the Reds have in abundance. But Nick Krall and Cincinnati's leadership have drawn a hard line this offseason, and maintain they have no desire to trade from their plethora of starters. That could change, however, once the team arrives in Goodyear.

Health of the Reds pitching staff could impact Cincy's pursuit of Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran

Given how things unfolded last spring, the Reds have every reason to be apprehensive to trade one of their starting pitchers. Andrew Abbott was sidelined to begin the season due to a rotator cuff strain, and Rhett Lowder arrived in camp with elbow soreness. Both starters did not open the season on the active roster, and Lowder never even set foot on a Major League mound in 2025.

The Reds were also without Julian Aguiar and Brandon Williamson last spring, both of whom underwent Tommy John surgery the year before. With the duo set to return to the bump next month, perhaps the Reds want to be sure their perceived depth is actually real before they go swinging for the fences and trade one of their starting pitchers.

Duran would solve a lot of the problems that plagued the Reds lineup last season. Even during a down-year in 2025, the Red Sox star hit .256/.332/.442 with 16 home runs, 84 RBI, and a 114 OPS+. None of the Reds' regulars posted an OPS+ above 109 (Elly De La Cruz) last season.

But in order to land a big-bat like Duran, the Reds would have to be willing to move one of their top starters. Removing All-Stars like Abbott and Hunter Greene from the equation, Nick Lodolo is arguably the one Reds starting pitcher who could bring back the most in a trade. But if the Reds' front office was tempted to make such a move, they'd have to know that their fallback options — Williamson, Aguiar, Chase Petty, and Jose Franco — are good to go.

Given the Reds' financial restrictions, the team's best chance to acquire an impact bat is through a trade. Such a deal, however, may not be imminent as the front office and coaching staff may want to see what the overall health of their rotation looks like before making such a drastic change.