{"id":123502,"date":"2026-06-07T01:01:23","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T05:01:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=123502"},"modified":"2026-06-07T01:02:50","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T05:02:50","slug":"red-sox-jarren-duran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/06\/07\/red-sox-jarren-duran\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Sox View Jarren Duran as Trade Asset: Should They?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script src=\"https:\/\/fast.arena.im\/script.js?siteId=6914c370d922cd00fc4cc4dd\" async><\/script><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019s not unreasonable to think they could. The Red Sox are only three and a half games out of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the third Wild Card spot<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with plenty of baseball left.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Either way, there is probably an assumption that they <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/05\/22\/red-sox-mock-trades\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">have to act by the deadline<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. On which side of the line is unclear. But either way, some names would be on the table. Outfielder <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/d\/duranja01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jarren Duran<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is one of those names. He\u2019s 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?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"a61405551f80e72f675225f083759bb9\" image-id=\"fwuQjhank9oj\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 2700px; aspect-ratio: 2700\/3900;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n<h2><b>Duran\u2019s Trade Value<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to Duran\u2019s 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\u2019s fair. After a standout season where he hit .285 and had 83 extra-base hits, he\u2019s failed to recapture that magic. The hope was that he would<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/03\/11\/could-this-former-mvp-candidate-bounce-back-in-2026\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> bounce back<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and perform well this year.\u00a0 He\u2019s done decent this year and is good for a starter, but nothing that screams a star player.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p>&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The gap between how the Red Sox and how potential trade partners value Jarren Duran remains steep, according to <a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JeffPassan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@JeffPassan<\/a>. <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/k0wf2QoyKL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/k0wf2QoyKL<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) <a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BOSSportsGordo\/status\/2062519832663187492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 4, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Overall, he\u2019s 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\u2019t be the main return for a guy like <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/t\/tatisfe02.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fernando Tatis Jr. <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or even <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/a\/adamewi01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Willy Adames<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Why Make This Move?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/baseballsavant.mlb.com\/savant-player\/jarren-duran-680776?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">places him<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the 93rd percentile in all of baseball. It\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, his contract is affordable. He\u2019s making $7.7 million this year, then enters an arbitration period for \u201827 and \u201828. Any team looking to acquire him wouldn\u2019t have to worry about a new contract until 2028 or 2029. If they had a complicated payroll, they could wait until they could readjust.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Why the Red Sox Shouldn\u2019t Move Him<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The obvious reasons why they shouldn\u2019t trade him are coincidentally the same reasons any team would be interested in him. It\u2019s 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\u2019t for the struggling bat (.217 as of June 6th), other teams could be offering more for him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But there\u2019s another reason. Everyone talks about the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/02\/24\/masataka-yoshida-red-sox-outfield-jam\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">outfield logjam<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that the Red Sox have with <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/a\/anthoro01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Roman Anthony<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/r\/rafaece01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ceddanne Rafaela<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/a\/abreuwi02.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wilyer Abreu<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/y\/yoshima02.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Masataka Yoshida<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/05\/07\/roman-anthony-injured-wrist-mickey-gasper-call-up\/\" target=\"_self\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anthony\u2019s injury<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Duran\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Duran isn\u2019t a bad fielder. Sure, he\u2019s had a couple of unfortunate moments throughout his career that stand out, but he\u2019s been a pretty good (compared to two Gold Glovers in Rafaela and Abreu) outfielder in the past few years:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2024: 23 DRS<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2025: Nine DRS<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2026 (so far): Three DRS\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_123510\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-123510\" style=\"width: 6022px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/06\/USATSI_29096193.webp\" alt=\"Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran catching a fly ball during the first inning vs the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio on May 30, 2026.\" width=\"6022\" height=\"4015\" class=\"size-full wp-image-123510\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/06\/USATSI_29096193.webp 6022w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/06\/USATSI_29096193-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/06\/USATSI_29096193-600x400.webp 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/06\/USATSI_29096193-1200x800.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 6022px) 100vw, 6022px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-123510\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">May 30, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) catches a ball during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019t be a huge call for Duran to be traded. Especially since he\u2019s doing well currently, hitting .276 over his last 15 days.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>The Last Word: Should They Trade Duran?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Honestly, it\u2019s understandable <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">why <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">they would trade Duran. Thinking about the future, if Anthony turns out to be what they hoped, Duran just doesn\u2019t fit in. The DH spot would be much better filled by a power hitter than a fourth outfielder. And he\u2019s too good to come off the bench as a pinch runner full-time. So it\u2019s easy to see.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That being said, with Anthony going through <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.masslive.com\/redsox\/2026\/06\/roman-anthony-injury-red-sox-outfielder-still-not-swinging-after-latest-setback.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">troubles coming back<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (this is his second major injury since September 2025), it might be good to keep Duran around while he\u2019s 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\u2019t the best idea given the circumstances.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"arena-poll-widget\" data-site-slug=\"lwos\"><\/div>\n<p>Main Photo Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5767,"featured_media":123508,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,1071,35],"tags":[28425,1625,3029,6081,28596,3174],"class_list":["post-123502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-redsox","category-mlb","category-news","tag-ceddanne-rafaela","tag-fernando-tatis-jr","tag-jarren-duran","tag-masataka-yoshida","tag-roman-anthony","tag-willy-adames"],"modified_by":"Augustus Oswald, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123502","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5767"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123502"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123502\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":123513,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123502\/revisions\/123513"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/123508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}