The Boston Red Sox have a decision to make at or around the trade deadline. Do they want to be buyers, or do they want to be sellers? Despite their 27-35 record, which puts them in last place in the American League East division, there is a small belief that Boston could still fight for a playoff bid. And it’s not unreasonable to think they could. The Red Sox are only three and a half games out of the third Wild Card spot with plenty of baseball left.
Either way, there is probably an assumption that they have to act by the deadline. On which side of the line is unclear. But either way, some names would be on the table. Outfielder Jarren Duran is one of those names. He’s been in trade rumors since last offseason due to his skill set and contract value. But there are two questions to this topic: will they trade him, and should they?
Duran’s Trade Value
Due to Duran’s spectacular 2024 season, in which he attained some MVP votes, he still has some value in the eyes of the opposing executives and general managers. However, according to Jeff Passan, the value the Red Sox and Craig Breslow place on him is a far cry from what other teams place on him. And that’s fair. After a standout season where he hit .285 and had 83 extra-base hits, he’s failed to recapture that magic. The hope was that he would bounce back and perform well this year. He’s done decent this year and is good for a starter, but nothing that screams a star player.
The gap between how the Red Sox and how potential trade partners value Jarren Duran remains steep, according to @JeffPassan. pic.twitter.com/k0wf2QoyKL
— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) June 4, 2026
Overall, he’s a pretty good player. But the opposing GMs of the league hold him at a lower price tag. In other words, despite his contract, the 29-year-old probably won’t be the main return for a guy like Fernando Tatis Jr. or even Willy Adames.
Why Make This Move?
Duran is probably coming off his best month since 2024, as he hit .261 while hitting nine home runs and walking 11 times. He also hits .277 with runners in scoring position this year, too. But his most valuable asset is his speed. He has a sprint speed of 29.1 feet per second, which places him in the 93rd percentile in all of baseball. It’s also shown with his doubles and triples amounts being high up in the MLB ranks. In 2024, he led both categories (48 and 14, respectively). In 2025, he led the American League with 13 triples and also had 41 doubles.
Additionally, his contract affordable. He’s making $7.7 million this year, then enters an arbitration period for ‘27 and ‘28. Any team looking to acquire him wouldn’t have to worry about a new contract until 2028 or 2029. If they had a complicated payroll, they could wait until they could readjust.
Why the Red Sox Shouldn’t Move Him
The obvious reasons why they shouldn’t trade him are coincidentally the same reasons any team would be interested in him. It’s easy to see why the Red Sox hold him at a high value. The speed he possesses and the money on the contract make him affordable and a good piece to have. If it weren’t for the struggling bat (.217 as of June 6th), other teams could be offering more for him.
But there’s another reason. Everyone talks about the outfield logjam that the Red Sox have with Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Masataka Yoshida also playing in the outfield this season. With the outfielders fully healthy, Duran splits time at designated hitter with Anthony, while the other goes to left field, essentially pushing Yoshida to the bench.
However, with Anthony’s injury, Duran’s been getting significant playing time in the outfield. And Anthony seems to be struggling in terms of coming back to playing regularly. After all the rumors, it was revealed that Anthony tore a ligament in his finger and would be swinging a bat, trying to come back. But he keeps having discomfort, delaying his return.
Duran isn’t a bad fielder. Sure, he’s had a couple of unfortunate moments throughout his career that stand out, but he’s been a pretty good (compared to two Gold Glovers in Rafaela and Abreu) outfielder in the past few years:
- 2024: 23 DRS
- 2025: Nine DRS
- 2026 (so far): Three DRS
So until Anthony starts to ease into coming back, and even then he might take time at DH before putting the glove back on, there shouldn’t be a huge call for Duran to be traded. Especially since he’s doing well currently, hitting .276 over his last 15 days.
The Last Word: Should They Trade Duran?
Honestly, it’s understandable why they would trade Duran. Thinking about the future, if Anthony turns out to be what they hoped, Duran just doesn’t fit in. The DH spot would be much better filled by a power hitter than a fourth outfielder. And he’s too good to come off the bench as a pinch runner full-time. So it’s easy to see.
That being said, with Anthony going through troubles coming back (this is his second major injury since September 2025), it might be good to keep Duran around while he’s on this hot streak. Potentially, they could wait till the offseason, where they could get a bigger package for him. But regardless, trading him now probably isn’t the best idea given the circumstances.
Main Photo Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
