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Jarren Duren and 5 MLB stars on surprising pretenders who should be traded

admin April 30, 2026

A month into the MLB season, nothing is written in ink. The clock is ticking, however, for several projected contenders who are limping out of the gate. There’s only so much leeway a team gets before the alarm bells ring out.

These six stars stuck in unexpected losing situations could end up on the trade market in the coming months if things don’t turn around:

OF Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox

Jarren Duran was a popular trade candidate over the winter, but the Red Sox decided to prioritize talent over fit and keep their loaded outfield together. That has made it difficult to Boston to find consistent at-bats for Masataka Yoshida, who’s objectively swinging the bat much better right now.

Duran has a .486 OPS and 38 OPS+. We know he’s better than that, but he’s a major reason why this Red Sox lineup — one that entered the season with October aspirations — feels so lame. Duran was an All-Star in 2024, but his production took a step back in 2025. It’s not like the signs of regression weren’t there. And while he’s generally a positive defender who can really stress opponents with his speed on the bases, Duran’s marginal attributes aren’t enough to mask his horrid hitting right now.

Boston needs to clean up its outfield logjam, especially with Kristian Campbell knocking on the door and other top prospects coming up through the pipeline, which will only further complicate the Red Sox’s present lack of flexibility.

RHP Kevin Gausman, Toronto Blue Jays

Toronto inked Dylan Cease to a massive seven-year deal early in free agency, securing their ace of the future — and inadvertantly setting the stage for a Kevin Gausman trade. The reigning AL champs are stuck in the mud right now. It should get better with more favorable health, but Toronto has dug a deep hole in an unforgiving division. The Yankees won’t let their foot off the gas pedal any time soon.

With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. locked up for the next decade-plus, the Jays can afford to think long term. Cease is pitching like a Cy Young candidate, which makes it easier to stomach dealing Gausman in the final year of his current deal. At 35, Gausman only has so much left in the tank and he’s far from a guarantee to re-sign as a free agent.

The Blue Jays’ primary workhorse can still shove. He has a 2.57 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 35.0 innings across six starts. Gausman’s fastball lacks oomph, but his command — and the sheer nastiness of his splitter — allows him to dominante with essentially a two-pitch arsenal. Plenty of contenders will be happy to sacrifice meaningful prospect capital for a half-season (and hopefully an October run) with Gausman in their rotation.

3B Isaac Paredes, Houston Astros

The Astros’ ill-advised Carlos Correa trade last season left them with too many mouths to feed on the infield. Injuries have kept Isaac Paredes steadily involved, but it required crafty lineups from Joe Espada. Paredes isn’t really delivering either. He has a .687 OPS and 91 OPS+ through one month, and while those numbers ought to improve, Paredes’ inconsistency is well-documented.

He keeps strikeouts to a minimum, but Paredes is an extreme pull hitter with limited power. Too often he’s cranking lifeless popups to left field or dribbling grounders to shortstop. That said, his profile plays well in certain ballparks — Philadelphia stands out as a team with a need at third base — and Paredes is a two-time All-Star at 28, with another year on his contract. Teams will register interest.

Paredes name was a hot name in the rumor mill last offseason and with Houston slow out of the gate, currently dead last in the AL West, you can bet he’ll become another popular trade candidate in the weeks ahead. Houston needs to trim some fat from its roster and start mapping out the future.

RHP Jhoan Durán, Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies will almost certainly test the waters for Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, Adolis García and others, but if Philadelphia decide to waive the white flag on this season and pursue real value on the trade market, Jhoan Durán is probably their best bet.

He’s still one of the top relievers in baseball, under contract through next season, but the Phillies have fallback options. Brad Keller can take over closer duties. Orion Kerkering and José Alvarado have experience in high-leverage spots. Durán’s age, control and talent could net significant prospect capital from a contender hoping to reinforce its bullpen for October.

Philadelphia will need to feel good about the net gains (or losses) on their investment, as Mick Abel and Eduardo Tait — their outgoing package to Minnesota in the Durán trade last season — are both top-100 prospects. If the right offer crosses Dave Dombrowski’s desk, however, the Phillies’ farm system really needs a facelift. There’s not much behind Aidan Miller these days.

OF Randy Arozarena, Seattle Mariners

Randy Arozarena is in a contract year for the Mariners and to his credit, he’s mashing. Arozarena has an .835 OPS and 140 OPS+, batting .297 with two homers and seven stolen bases. He’s a freaky athlete and a hard-wired competitor. But he’s also outperforming his metrics (.270 xBA), which means regression is around the corner.

Seattle is still waiting patiently for Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodríguez and Josh Naylor — their foundational stars — to heat up at the plate. This Mariners rotation should keep any team in the postseason mix. If the Mariners fail to make up meaningful ground, however, trading Arozarena before he leaves in free agency, especially after his WBC dust-up with Raleigh, is the only logical move.

There’s always a market for bats who can change the tenor of a baseball game like Arozarena’s. The man has a ton of natural power, and while some of his batted-ball success will subside, he’s also going to find his power at some point. The Mariners can get a nice haul here while opening the door to the AL’s deepest farm system.