Arguably the most surprising move that the Boston Red Sox made at the trade deadline was opting to keep embattled outfielder Jarren Duran, at least for the foreseeable future.
Duran’s time in Boston appeared to be over amid a dysfunctional season both at and away from the plate. He’s having his worst season as a hitter, and he’s had numerous interactions with fans and reporters throughout the year.
Whether it’s an offseason trade or designating him for assignment before the postseason, Duran leaving Boston within the coming months still feels inevitable. He has two years of team control left and desperately needs a change of scenery. Duran himself even admitted as much, telling Alex Speier that he's MLB's 'worst player' and that he expected to be released.
For this list, we’re looking at contenders that realistically need outfield help both down the stretch and this coming offseason. Some of these teams are far closer to the World Series than others, but they’re all nonetheless on track to reach the postseason.
Atlanta Braves
The unfortunate reality of Ronald Acuña Jr.’s career is that he cannot stay healthy. He’s played 120 games only once in the last six years, and he’s at 62 with 58 left this season. Few sports stories are more frustrating than watching a player of Acuña’s caliber and knowing he’ll be remembered as a top-tier talent who could have been so much more had he stayed on the field.
Duran has durability working on his side, and he wouldn’t be a bad bench option moving forward. And while paying a backup outfielder somewhere in the range of $7 million isn’t always ideal, the Braves were doing so while understanding Acuña’s injury history. Suddenly, that makes things slightly more defensible, doesn’t it?
Houston Astros
The financial commitments to Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa could prevent the Astros from embarking on even a partial rebuild this offseason. Given how weak the AL West is, perhaps they’re better off taking the mid-2010s Yankees approach of seeking controllable players and former All-Stars needing a reset.
Sometimes, you get Didi Gregorius, and sometimes, you get Kevin Youkilis. The Astros would be in great shape if Duran were closer to the former, who became a mainstay of the early Aaron Judge teams.
New York Yankees
Despite having Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger both under contract for 2027, the Yankees’ overall outfield situation could become extremely complicated. Trent Grisham is playing on the qualifying offer, and Jasson Domínguez will likely remain the center of trade rumors. And while the Yankees likely won’t release Giancarlo Stanton and eat the $35 million left on his deal, they should at least consider the idea.
For the sake of conversation, let’s assume they cut ties with Stanton and made Ben Rice the full-time DH. Cody Bellinger would move back to first base with Duran manning either center or left field. Alternatively, the Yankees could finally consider moving Aaron Judge to first base, though there’s no indication that’s even up for consideration.
The Yankees already gambled on one ex-Red Sox outfielder in Alex Verdugo. Would they be willing to repeat history?
Pittsburgh Pirates/St. Louis Cardinals
I’m looping these NL Central rivals into the same entry because both are in similar situations. They appear to have hit the point in their rebuild where, in theory, they should be open to accepting Duran’s contract if it means solidifying themselves as 2027 playoff contenders.
Both the Pirates and Cardinals are on the verge of falling out of the postseason race entirely, though an extended winning streak could easily change the entire Wild Card race. Additionally, Duran may also benefit from moving to a much smaller market.
Which teams do you believe should try to acquire Jarren Duran? Let us know in the comments.
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