Red Sox Trade Rumor: Jarren Duran for $350 Million Surprise Bregman Replacement
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Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox.
With the Boston Red Sox losing third baseman Alex Bregman after just one season, when the three-time All-Star chose to opt out of his three-year, $120 million contract, a new trade rumor sees Boston making a dramatic deal for a replacement at third base that would come as a surprise, and perhaps a shock, to Red fans, were it to actually happen.
The possibility of the rumored trade, which would see outfielder Jarren Duran as well as the organization’s top pitching prospect Payton Tolle shipped out along with two other prospects, became at least slightly more realistic on Wednesday when the team on the other end announced that it may be sold soon.
According to a statement issued Wednesday by San Diego Padres chair John Seidler, brother of late owner Peter Seidler who died almost exactly two years earlier at age 63, his family which controls the team through a trust was now considering “a potential sale of the franchise.”
Padres Turmoil Sets Stage For Trade
The Padres have seen a decline in revenues over the past two years due to the collapse of Diamond Sports Group, parent company of Bally Sports San Diego, which held local broadcast rights to the team until 2023 when it abruptly defaulted on its contract with the Padres and filed for bankruptcy.
With the turmoil at the top of the organization, the Padres could be expected to look toward unloading some of its larger, more burdensome player contracts — none weightier than seven-time All-Star third baseman Manny Machado.
The Padres have three players on nine-figure contracts that run at least through the 2030 season. Outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr., 26, is still owed $286 million on his deal that takes him through 2034, while 33-year-old shortstop Xander Bogaerts is signed through 2033 with $200 million remaining to collect.
Sox, Padres Have Converging Interests
But Machado, signed an 11-year, $350 million contract that takes him through the 2033 season. The Padres owe the 33-year-old former No. 3 overall draft pick another $301 million on the deal.
His stratospheric cost would seem to make Machado a likely trade candidate for an ownership looking to streamline costs, making the team more attractive to potential buyers.
The Red Sox, of course, have a significant hole to fill at third base if they hope to improve on a 2025 campaign that saw them get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2021, and only the second since 2018.
The Red Sox and Padres have interests that converge, but that doesn’t mean Machado would come cheaply if the Red Sox decided to target him. One rumored trade package sees not only Jarren Duran — the outfielder most often named as a potential trade candidate for Boston this offseason — but also Payton Tolle headed to San Diego.
Tolle, a 6-foot-6, 250-pound left power pitcher, is rated as the Red Sox’ top pitching prospect and No. 2 prospect overall by MLB Pipeline.
Machado to Boston Would be Controversial Move
But that’s not all. The trade rumor also has Boston’s No. 3 prospect, slugging outfielder Jhostynxon “The Password” Garcia included in the Machodo trade package, along with at least one more high-ranking prospect.
Seeing Machado in a Red Sox uniform would certainly come as a surprise for Red Sox Nation, and not only due to the unlikelihood that Padres woudl let him go. In 2017, Machado — then playing for the Baltimore Orioles — slid into second base, injuring the left knee of one of Boston’s most valuable and popular stars, second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
Pedroia never fully recovered, playing through pain for the duration of the 2017 season, then appearing in only three games in 2018 and six in 2019 before finally making his retirement official on February 1, 2021.
Machado has been reviled as a villain by many Red Sox fans ever since.
Packers’ Christian Watson Explains Surprise Week 11 Injury Update
Naturally, for a player who has been as injury-prone as Packers receiver Christian Watson in his career, especially as he comes off the most serious injury he’s had as an NFL player–an ACL tear in January–there is going to be concern raised when his name crops up on the injury report. And Watson, after Week 10’s team-wide dud against the Eagles on Monday, was indeed on the injury report on Thursday, ahead of the Packers’ next game against the Giants.
Watson was listed as “limited” this week, with injuries to his knee and hamstring, which has pretty much been the story of his career to this point. But, he explained after practice, he’s not actually injured.
“I wouldn’t classify it an injury because I didn’t get injured. It wasn’t during the game, just feeling sore,” he said.
Christian Watson: ‘They Gotta Do What They Gotta Do’
Watson explained that Packers coaches are just seeking to be careful with him.
“I mean, they gotta do what they gotta do,” said Watson, who had two catches for 45 yards on Monday. “I definitely, if it were up to me, I am not injured, so I mean, they just gotta do what they gotta do. I am good. I have no worries in terms of where I am gonna be at for Sunday. Just precautions, I guess for them.
“I am just sore. I am still in kind of the ramp-up phase, coming back from the ACL. So, I am just sore. Got a decent amount of snaps in the game and everything. Enough to be smarter about the rep count in practice but I mean, I feel fine, confident about it.”
Christian Watson 1 of Many Limited Packers
The Packers had only one player miss practice in full on Thursday, and that was cornerback Nate Hobbs.
The full list of limited participants was, in addition to Watson: Kingsley Enagbare (knee), Matthew Golden (shoulder), Micah Parsons (pec), Zach Tom (back), Lukas Van Ness (foot), Dontayvion Wicks (calf) and Savion Williams (foot).
Packers Getting Van Ness Back
Getting Van Ness back will add some firepower to the Packers defense, as he has been out since Week 5, against the Bengals. Van Ness had 1.5 sacks when he went out, and three tackles for a loss.
Coach Matt LaFleur addressed his return before practice.
“I just think he’s a really good player. So, you always want good players out there on the field,” LaFleur said. “His versatility is something I think could give players a boost.”
