The Philadelphia Phillies are undoubtedly looking for an outfielder in the trade market. General manager Dave Dombrowski was likely already eyeing a new slugger before Adolis Garcia landed on the injured list. The right fielder was recently sidelined due to a back injury. Philadelphia opted to place the two-time All-Star on the 60-day IL. The move could mean that Garcia is done for the year.
While Garcia was struggling this season, his departure leaves a big hole to fill. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden believes that Boston Red Sox duo Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu would be “strong fits” for the Phillies. The former GM, however, initially named Minnesota Twins star Byron Buxton as Dombrowski’s top trade target. Nevertheless, Buxton would have to waive his no-trade clause to make the deal happen.
The Red Sox are likely open to offloading one of their four quality outfielders. Boston currently has a logjam at the positions and could use one of the sluggers as trade bait. Former Boston great Mike Lowell recently called the outfield situation in Boston “a disaster” on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast.
If the Red Sox dangle one of their outfielders in the coming weeks, several Major League Baseball clubs would be interested. Nevertheless, Bowden specifically claimed that Boston and Philadelphia are likely the best trade partners on Duran. The outfielder is slashing just .211/.268/.387 so far this season. However, he is just two years removed from being an MVP candidate.
Jarren Duran May Not Be the Ideal Outfielder for the Philadelphia Phillies
GettyIf acquired, Jarren Duran would be yet another lefty in the Philadelphia Phillies lineup.
Although Bowden believes the Philadelphia Phillies would be a perfect landing spot for Duran, there are some issues with the potential move. Most significantly, Philadelphia likely prefers to target a right-handed outfielder in the trade market. With Garcia out of action, J.T. Realmuto, Trea Turner, and Alec Bohm are the main righties in manager Dom Mattingly’s starting lineup.
The Phillies also have the lowest collective OPS (.586) from the right side of the plate in the entire league. This particular figure is 20 points lower than the next team in front of them. Philadelphia righties have posted a disappointing .203 batting average on the current campaign as well. This stat also ranks lowest in the league.
Abreu, the other Red Sox outfielder linked with Philadelphia, is also a left-handed hitter. Boston would likely prefer to keep Abreu over Duran. Not only is Abreu performing better at the plate in 2026, but he has an extra year of team control compared to Duran.
Philadelphia Will Face Competition for New Outfielder
Duran, however, is not expected to be the only trade option for the Philadelphia Phillies. If Dombrowski opts for a right-handed bat, he will likely eye Seiya Suzuki, Jo Adell, or Taylor Ward. All three of these hitters have been linked with a potential move to Philadelphia in recent days.
The Phillies could have more competition for a right-handed outfielder, though. Much like Philadelphia, the Seattle Mariners are also looking to acquire a player in this position. Seattle’s plethora of starting pitching will likely put them in a solid place to strike a significant deal ahead of the trade deadline.
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