As the Red Sox head into another winter of change, one name stands out as the likeliest trade candidate: Jarren Duran.
Boston’s offseason is expected to bring movement, and that fits the way Craig Breslow has approached roster-building since taking over as chief baseball officer. Trades have been a central part of the plan, and there’s little reason to think that will suddenly stop now. If the Red Sox do deal someone this winter, Duran looks like the most obvious possibility.
That’s a sharp turn from where his value once sat. After his nine-WAR 2024 season, Boston might have been able to stockpile serious prospect capital for him. During the middle of the 2025 season, there was even reporting that the Red Sox could have landed San Diego Padres catching prospect Ethan Salas in a Duran deal, which would have been a strong return as well.
But the bigger issue now is fit. Even if Duran rebounds some from the rough season he just had at the plate, the Red Sox still have an outfield picture that needs clarity.
If Roman Anthony is healthy, he belongs in left field. Boston also needs to keep the designated hitter spot open so it can chase a real power bat this winter.
At that point, the simplest answer is to move on. If Duran’s best return is a solid reliever, that may still be better than another season of shuffling pieces around and trying to make the puzzle fit. And if Anthony gets hurt again next year, the Red Sox could finally give Kristian Campbell another much-needed chance in the majors.
It’s a tough conclusion given what Duran has already done in a Boston uniform, but the logic points the same way. The Red Sox need to clean up the logjam, and part of that process may mean sending Duran elsewhere so he can try to restart his career in his age-30 season.
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Mookie Betts Just Made A Red Sox Legacy Statement That Stings
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For Boston, the sting is not just where Betts placed the emphasis, but what it says about how fully he has moved into another era of his career. He also said he feels he is approaching the end of his playing prime, while his Dodgers contract runs through 2032 and has already been tied to his stated retirement timeline. For a player who once felt central to the Red Sox present and future, the message was clear enough even without needing any extra explanation. [Read more 🡒]