The St. Louis Cardinals need to bring in a star player soon, or the fan base may view this season as a missed opportunity. While the team is in the playoff hunt, its current roster likely isn’t strong enough to compete for a World Series title. They’re just a piece or two short of challenging top National League contenders like the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.
Thomas Gauvain of Redbird Rants has confirmed the Cardinals trading for Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran. “Duran has slashed .257/.311/.408 this season, which puts him slightly below league average by OPS+,” Gauvain noted. “But last year, he batted .285/.342/.492 with 21 home runs and 34 stolen bases, earning a 134 OPS+ and playing stellar defense in right field, with 10 outs above average. That’s the profile of a top-10 position player.”
Over the past three seasons, the Cardinals have lacked a true superstar to lead the team. While they’ve stayed competitive with a mix of solid players, they now need a game-changer. As incoming president of baseball operations, Chaim Bloom’s first priority should be securing that kind of talent.
Duran could be the ideal fit—he’s a productive, controllable outfielder with upside, and St. Louis has the prospect depth to make a trade happen, especially with its strong crop of young pitchers. For Boston, dealing Duran might make sense given its surplus of outfield talent and a pipeline of prospects ready to step in. With that context, seeing the former All-Star traded this season wouldn’t come as a surprise.