So far, most rumors surrounding a possible Seattle trade have focused on acquiring an infielder, which makes sense given who they lost this offseason. Although the Mariners were able to sign Josh Naylor to a five-year deal, second and third base vacated with the respective departures of Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suárez. Recent reports have suggested that Seattle will rely on their in-house options at third base, a strategy the front office could also deploy for second base.
But while there are only a few true vacancies in the current roster, incremental upgrades could be made in several places. The bullpen is a major area that the team is looking to bolster this offseason, but what about the outfield? Julio Rodríguez is here to stay for obvious reasons and despite earlier rumors that an increased salary in arbitration would incentivize the Mariners to trade him, Randy Arozarena has apparently become a prized asset from within the organization. But what if they made a big splash in right field?
Seattle could swing big and make a trade with the Boston Red Sox to acquire Jarren Duran
According to a recent article by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Jarren Duran is being hotly pursued by the Royals as a trade target. He had a breakout season in 2024 when he posted a 131 wRC+ and 6.8 fWAR. Despite cooling off significantly in 2025, he still accumulated 3.9 fWAR, third amongst all left fielders. With several more years of team control left and a compelling well-rounded skillset, he’d be one of the most intriguing players this offseason if he’s made available by the Red Sox.
If he joined Seattle, he could occupy either of the two corner outfield spots but either way, he’d be taking the place of Victor Robles after a disappointing 2025. He’ll be owed just over $5 million in 2026, so if he’s unable to get back to where he was in 2024, Robles could lose his starting spot to a player like Duran, who has a better chance of elevating the lineup.
When it comes to striking a deal, Boston already attempted to acquire some of Seattle’s premier starting pitching talent last winter and they still have a pressing need for more rotation depth. So it’s clear that the Mariners have assets that the Red Sox would want, but would they be willing to give up someone like Bryce Miller or George Kirby for Duran? Probably not, since the front office has been vocal about not wanting to trade any of their big league starters, but perhaps one of their top-tier prospects could sweeten the deal for both sides. Kade Anderson could debut as soon as next season and is already MLB Pipeline’s No. 23-ranked prospect before pitching a single professional inning.
A more likely outcome is that the Mariners will stay the course with their current outfield trio, but if Robles continues to struggle and the Red Sox still need pitching help, a deal may be struck before the 2026 trade deadline. Boston has plenty of outfield depth to work with and even if both teams are comfortably on track to make the postseason, this hypothetical transaction could give both teams real chances to make a deeper playoff run.
