I'm pinch-hitting for Tim Dierkes on this week's edition of the MLBTR Mailbag. We'll tackle questions on and the Padres, 's opt-out status, and in Seattle, , , some Giants rotation standouts, the Angels' bullpen and more! Ro s asks: With the report that the Padres are interested in Jarren Duran, what would be a reasonable return for the Red Sox? As we discu sed , the Padres/Duran connection feels like it's drawing a bit more attention than it should, at least based on the chances of him actually changing hands (even more so if we specifically zero in on the Padres). That's not to say there's no chance of a Duran deal, but the Padres have a clear need in the outfield and an ultra-aggre sive baseball operations leader in A De'Andre Hunter Jersey .J. Preller. It'd frankly be more surprising if they hadn't inquired on Duran. That said, it's worth diving into a bit. Duran had a borderline MVP-caliber season last year, hitting .285/.342/.492 with plus defense and elite baserunning. Baseball-Reference valued him at 8.7 wins above replacement. We've seen players named MVP with le ser WAR totals than that, but Duran was an afterthought in the 2024 race thanks to outrageously good seasons from , and (to a slightly le ser extent) . The Padres' farm system was once a powerhouse but is now top-heavy and lacking depth. Shortstop and catcher are among MLB's 25 best prospects, but there's not a lot of other talent in the hopper. It makes a deal difficult to envision -- for multiple reasons. Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription BENEFITS Acce s weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco. Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony. Remove ads and support our writers. Acce s GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker Cam Reddish Jersey