The Boston Red Sox will be one of the more fascinating teams to monitor ahead of next week's MLB trade deadline. Craig Breslow has made it clear he plans to pursue upgrades. This is a tremendously talented team with plenty of forward momentum in the AL East. On the other hand, it sounds like Boston will play it safer than other teams in their stratosphere. Not only in terms of who comes in, but who goes out as well.
Jarren Duran is probably the biggest name in trade rumors for Boston. The talented outfielder is arbitration-eligible through 2028, so the Red Sox are operating from a position of strength and leverage. But one glance at the roster gives plenty of reasons for Boston to consider dealing the 28-year-old right now, while his value is at its peak.
Boston once again deployed Ceddanne Rafaela at second base in Friday's loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. With Marcelo Mayer hurt and Kristian Campbell struggling in Triple-A Worcester, this will probably be the norm for a while.
Rafaela at second base tonight. Narvaez is off.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) July 25, 2025
Duran CF, Bregman 3B, Anthony LF, Story SS, Yoshida DH, Rafaela 2B, Abreu RF, Toro 1B, Wong C
Rafaela is a good second baseman and Boston's crowded outfield means this is probably the best way to keep the most productive bats in the lineup. But Rafaela is a great centerfielder and plugging him into a lower-leverage position means the Red Sox aren't getting maximum value from one of MLB's hottest two-way stars.
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Red Sox need to ease outfield logjam with Jarren Duran trade
The Red Sox don't need to trade Jarren Duran because he's unhelpful. It's more so a pathway to maximizing the rest of Boston's core — while also restocking the farm system beyond Boston's superpowered 'big three' of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell.
Rafaela is a monster in centerfield defensively. Meanwhile, Wilyer Abreu and Roman Anthony are both everyday bats. So is Duran. There's a natural conundrum that arises when too many good players occupy the same handful of positions. Mayer will be back in the lineup eventually and long term, Campbell will need a spot as well. Boston also has Rob Refsnyder, one of MLB's better platoon bats, putting together his best individual season in a while.
There are too many good outfielders on this team. That is a good problem to have, but now is the chance for Boston to capitalize and reallocate assets. Turning Duran into a strong prospect package or another MLB-ready starting pitcher would put the Red Sox in a better position come October.
Jarren Duran still has big-time trade value
Plenty of front offices would trip over themselves to add Duran, a former All-Star in the middle of his prime with five-tool utility. Duran has a .749 OPS and nine home runs in 417 at-bats this season. He also leads the American League with 10 triples and has 16 stolen bases under his belt. Few players are more dangerous on the bases.
The San Diego Padres and Philadelphia Phillies are just a couple of the contenders that can justify a run at Duran, which would likely include multiple top-20 prospects coming back to Boston. This has not been Duran's best season at the plate, but he's a gifted lefty bat who is threatening to get hot just in time for the stretch run.
Boston keeping Duran would be understandable, if a little disappointing. He will still be a valuable trade chip for a couple more years. It's hard to imagine his value peaking higher than this, however, so Breslow and the Red Sox brass would be smart to take advantage. Whether it's an immediate solution to Boston's starting pitching woes or a more long-term package, Boston will get substantial value for Duran.
He's a fan favorite and a strong two-way presence, but the Red Sox have plenty of those players in the outfield already. Reshuffling and redistributing that value elsewhere on the roster is the prudent move. Not trading Duran just leaves Boston with a logjam that disallows them from playing their best players at their optimal positions.