Red Sox

“I feel like he’d abuse that Monster in left field.”

Jarren Duran might have another All-Star joining him in the Red Sox’ outfield this offseason.

Boston met with Juan Soto on Thursday, reportedly impressing the top free agent on the open market as it seeks to make its biggest splash in quite some time. As the Red Sox are one of a handful of possible suitors in the pricey pursuit of Soto, Duran was asked about the superstar outfielder’s possible fit with the team during an appearance on MLB Network.

“I think he’d hit pretty good,” Duran said. “I feel like he’d abuse that Monster in left field, like he has against a couple of times. That would be fun to see.”

Soto, who was traded to the Yankees ahead of the 2024 season, has had some strong performances at Fenway Park over his career. Last season, he only hit .182 over six games at Fenway. However, he had a .400 on-base percentage and a .900 OPS as he hit a double and two home runs in those games against the Red Sox. He’s hit .216 with three home runs over nine career games at Fenway.

While signing Soto would give the Red Sox an MVP-level player that they haven’t had since they traded Mookie Betts, it could present them with a bit of a problem. Their lineup last season was lefty-dominant, and if they signed Soto, their starting outfield would likely consist of three left-handed hitters unless they made a move.

Duran isn’t worried about the team having too many left-handed hitters, though, as at least one Red Sox outfielder has been the subject of trade rumors.

“I don’t think so,” Duran said when asked if a team could have too many lefties in the lineup. “I mean, it is baseball. But at the end of the day, we are athletes and we can adjust to the lefties if we need to. If you can hit, you can hit. But, you know, that’s not my territory, that’s the front office’s territory to deal with. I’m just here to hang out with the boys and have fun with whoever they put in that lineup.”

If the Red Sox landed Soto, they wouldn’t have to be worried about his ability to hit lefties. He has a career .268 batting average and a .857 OPS against left-handed pitchers.

Duran and Wilyer Abreu, meanwhile, haven’t hit as well against lefties. Duran hit .255 with a .665 OPS against left-handed pitchers last season while Abreu hit just .180 against left-handed pitchers in 2024.

The Red Sox’ not-so-well-rounded lineup might have been one of the reasons why their offense fell off a bit toward the end of the season, finishing 81-81. As Boston slipped out of the playoff race, Soto helped New York capture the American League East title en route to reaching the World Series.

Duran believes that the Red Sox are close to reaching the heights the Yankees got to last season, alluding to their 6-7 record against them in the season series.

“We’ve got to give them the respect,” Duran said. “They’re a good team. We aren’t going to disrespect them in any way. They’re a really good team. They earned to get where they are. It just fuels our fire because our division is so tough. It’s like, alright, we competed against those guys and they made it all the way to the World Series. If we competed with them really good, then hopefully we can get there one day.”

The last three seasons have mostly been the same story for the Red Sox, playing like a playoff contender through the first four months of the year before tailing off by September. Duran is seemingly hoping for the front office to make notable additions to the roster this offseason, believing he’s helped set the team to compete in 2025 and beyond.

“We’re such a competitive team,” Duran said when asked about what direction he’d like to see the team take this offseason. “I know we hit our bumps in the road, but we’re just so young. We were able to put our name out there on the map.

“I mean, I hear guys like Roman Anthony say they want to play the game hard like me. That means a lot to me, because it means I’m affecting the younger generation to want to play the game hard and the right way. Just hearing a guy like that who’s a stud and killing it makes me feel good.”