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Boston Red Sox Offseason: Struggling Outfielder Named Top Trade Candidate
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- Boston Red Sox Offseason: Struggling Outfielder Named Top Trade Candidate
RedSoxRoundtable's Zach Coe and David Azer discuss how the outfield logjam makes roster construction much harder for Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow on the 'Entering Kenmore' Podcast. Subscribe on YouTube! Be sure to join our FREE community over on RedSoxRoundtable.com!
As Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow enters his fourth offseason at the helm of the Boston Red Sox , he has a lot of work to do to get the Red Sox on par with the World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers and the American League pennant-winning Tampa Bay Rays. For the second straight offseason, one item on Breslow's agenda is addressing the outfield logjam , which sees five players competing for four spots.
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In each of the last two offseasons, Jarren Duran has been the most likely trade candidate. MLBTrade Rumors seems to agree, as the 30-year-old speedster was named the No. 12 trade candidate on the outlet's annual top 40 list for the offseason.
Duran's fourth full season in the big leagues was comfortably his worst. After cycling in and out of the lineup over the first month, Duran hit just .170/.231/.250/.481. However, he got more consistent playing time after Roman Anthony landed on the injured list and appeared to find his stride at the plate. Duran carried an otherwise anemic Red Sox offense in May, slashing .261/.331/.548/.879 with nine home runs and 22 RBI in 27 games.
The 30-year-old couldn't carry that momentum into the final four months of the season, though, hitting just .199/.253/.330/.584 with 10 home runs, six doubles, and four triples, and driving in 36 runs in the final 98 games of the regular season.
Aug 25, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox's Jarren Duran (16) tosses his bat after hitting a grand slam in the 11th inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Overall, Duran posted a slash line of .207/.266/.361/.627 with 20 home runs, 15 doubles, and five triples, driving in 69 runs. Among 135 qualified hitters, Duran finished the year in the bottom five in batting average (.207, 132nd), on-base percentage (.266, 134th), and weighted runs created plus (69, 134th).
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That said, Duran provided strong defense in left field, finishing the season top 10 among all left fielders in defensive runs saved (3, 8th), outs above average (5, 4th) and fielding run value (4, 4th). He also became just the third player in Red Sox history to record multiple seasons of 20 or more home runs and 20 or more stolen bases, joining Mookie Betts and Jackie Jensen.
The 30-year-old has two years of team control remaining and is projected to earn $11.1 million in arbitration . MLBTrade Rumors' Steve Adams, Anthony Franco, and Darragh McDonald list the San Francisco Giants , St. Louis Cardinals , Texas Rangers , Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies as potential suitors for Duran's services.
Pitchers Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck and Johan Oviedo are listed as other trade candidates to watch, along with outfielder Kristian Campbell .
In other Red Sox news
Aug 21, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) delivers a pitch during the second inning against the San Francisco Giants at Fenway Park. Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
After his mutual option was declined , Red Sox starter Sonny Gray collected his $10 million buyout and has been declared a free agent. Gray and the Red Sox will have until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday, Nov. 2, to agree on a new deal; otherwise, the 36-year-old will be free to sign with a new team. Gray posted a 2.73 ERA in 29 starts in his first, and possibly only, season in Boston.
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As the Red Sox look to clear enough roster spots for seven players returning to the 40-man roster from the 60-day injured list on Monday, the team made two trades. First, Boston sent outfielder Nate Eaton to the Athletics in exchange for pitching prospect Jareth Rayo. Then they sent infielder Tsung-Che Cheng to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations.
