White Sox linked to jarring trade for former MVP candidate

The Chicago White Sox have been playing some of their best baseball in years and are smack dab in the middle of the AL Central race, but there is no question that the White Sox could still use some upgrades on their roster.

Whether or not Chicago will actually buy between now and the MLB trade deadline remains to be seen. The White Sox are certainly ahead of schedule, as I don’t even think anyone within the organization itself expected the team to be this good, this fast.

But if Chicago does decide to get aggressive before Aug. 3, the outfield would be a nice area to address.

Outside of Sam Antonacci, who is slashing .288/.390/.404 thus far this season, the White Sox have gotten very limited production from their outfield, and they could certainly use a big bat out there to help fortify the lineup.

On that note, Andrew Apostolakis of Southside Showdown has identified a very intriguing potential trade target for Chicago: Boston Red Sox standout Jarren Duran.

Chicago White Sox linked to trade for Jarren Duran

Duran has not performed his best over the first couple of months of the 2026 campaign, but Apostolakis is willing to overlook his struggles due to how good he has been in the past.

“Yes, Duran has struggled offensively this season and is currently hitting just .195, but this is still a player viewed around the league as a legitimate 6 WAR caliber talent. He is due for a bounce back, and people are quickly forgetting just how impactful he can be when he is at his best,” Apostolakis wrote.

That’s definitely true.

Just two years ago, Duran was an AL MVP candidate, finishing eighth in voting after slashing .285/.342/.492 with 21 home runs and 75 RBI. He led all of baseball with 48 doubles and 14 triples while also stealing 34 bases that season. He also played tremendous defense, recording plus-23 defensive runs saved. That all resulted in the 29-year-old posting a 6.8 WAR.

Duran wasn’t quite as effective in 2025, managing a .774 OPS and 3.9 WAR, but he was still very good, finishing with 41 doubles and 13 triples.

The former seventh-round pick is under team control through 2028, as well, so it’s not like the White Sox would be at risk of immediately losing him.

The Red Sox are falling out of contention, and Duran’s name has been floated as a trade candidate for quite some time now. Taking that into consideration, it wouldn’t be surprising if Boston moved him, and in that case, Chicago should jump at the chance to acquire him.

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