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Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox.
No name of a Boston Red Sox player has come up in trade rumors this offseason, as well as during the season, than Jarren Duran. The speedy, 29-year-old outfielder appears to the odd man out in an overcrowded Fenway Park outfield that looks to be fully occupied by this year’s Rookie of the Year candidate Roman Anthony in left, Gold Glove winner Ceddanne Rafaela in center, and back-to-back Gold Glover Wilyer Abreu in right field.
If the Red Sox do intend to trade Duran, they first made sure that his contract was in place — at a lower price than it originally appeared. The Red Sox held an $8 million club option on the 2024 All-Star Game MVP, but declined it — only to persuade Duran to accept a one-year, $7.7 million contract, potentially making the five-year veteran an even more attractive trade option for interested teams.
Trade of Duran Seen as Inevitable
According to USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale, a trade of Duran is now inevitable.
“The Red Sox believe that they need an upgrade over Duran, and that he needs a fresh start,” Nightengale wrote this week. “It would a huge surprise if he’s in Fort Myers, Florida, come spring training.”
Most often, Duran’s name comes up in trade proposals that would bring pitching to Boston. But in a new trade idea by MLB analyst Garrett Kerman of ClutchPoints, the Red Sox would make a “perfect” deal for Duran by swapping him for a package of four top prospects, three with major league experience already, from the Houston Astros.
Astros Outfield Struggled in 2025
“Duran represents exactly what the Astros need as they attempt to return to championship contention,” Kerman wrote on Saturday. “His elite plate discipline and ability to produce in multiple offensive categories make him a cornerstone piece for any contending team.”
At the same time, Duran — even though his offensive output was down somewhat from his All-Star year of 2024 — would be an upgrade from any member of the Astros outfield in 2025. Duran posted a .774 OPS with 16 home runs and a league-leading 13 triples.
No Houston outfielder managed an OPS higher than .727, from center fielder Jake Meyers.
Duran’s wins above replacement total of 4.7 was nearly double Meyer’s WAR of 2.4. No other Astros outfielder compiled a WAR higher than right fielder Cam Smith’s 1.9
‘Win Now’ Trade For Houston
After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016, acquiring Duran would amount to a “win now” move for Houston, and in the ClutchPoints proposal, they would be giving up some go their long term, future for an immediate improvement.
The package of four players Houston would send in return for Duran, according to Kerman, would include the Astros’ top two prospects, second baseman Brice Matthews — the team’s first-round draft pick in 2023 — and at No. 2, outfielder Jacob Melton, a 2022 second-rounder.
Both got call-ups to the Major League club this year, but both struggled in limited action. Matthews managed just a .675 OPS with four home runs in 47 plate appearances.
Melton got in 78 plate appearances over 32 games with only 11 hits for a .419 OPS.
Also going to Boston in the proposed swap for Duran, right-handed pitcher Spencer Arrighetti who has been at the big league level for two seasons, posting a 4.69 ERA over 180 1/3 innings — and 21-year-old outfielder Luis Baez, currently rated No. 22 in the Astros system, signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2022 at age 18 for a $1.3 million bonus.
Baez belted 21 home runs in the minor leagues in 2025, fourth-most among all minor league players age 20 or younger, according to MLB.com.
Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. He was a sports editor and writer at The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo, Japan, covering Japan Pro Baseball, boxing, sumo and other sports. More about Jonathan Vankin
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