If the topic of a Jarren Duran trade sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve spent nearly two years openly speculating whether the Boston Red Sox will finally part ways with their veteran left fielder.
Nothing has changed, even after an underwhelming 2026 season that featured spats with fans and media members. And although we’ve previously said his days in Boston are numbered, that reality could finally come to fruition; USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported on Monday that the Red Sox may lower their asking price.
“They don’t want to pay a projected $11 million in salary arbitration for a player who may be a fourth outfielder, at best,” Nightengale wrote. “He should be as good as gone.”
Duran mustered a career-worst .627 OPS and 0.4 bWAR, his lowest since becoming a full-time player in 2023. He just turned 30 in September and doesn’t hit free agency until after the 2029 season, so he’s not exactly untradable. In fact, there are several teams that make perfect sense for the Long Beach State product.
Colorado Rockies
At some point, the Rockies need to convince both their fans and Major League Baseball that they truly intend to chase a winning record. We mean this as respectfully as possible, but this is an organization that has seemingly accepted the yearly 90-loss seasons and the idea that they’ll be forever hamstrung by the Coors Field altitude.
Duran obviously doesn’t improve their pitching staff, and we’re not even sure how much he’d even help their lineup. But given that the Rockies are likely to finish in the NL West cellar yet again, why not add someone whom they could potentially flip at next summer’s trade deadline? The best-case scenario is that Duran follows in Mickey Moniak’s footsteps; the latter has become a steady 20-homer threat in Colorado, albeit one with a low on-base percentage and dismal advanced statistics.
Houston Astros
We’ve repeatedly mentioned the Astros’ outfield issues and how that impacted their 81-81 finish, so why not take a chance on Duran? Could he truly be worse than the likes of LaMonte Wade Jr. or Taylor Trammell? We didn’t think so.
For what it’s worth, new Astros manager Brad Ausmus spent the last three years as the Yankees’ bench coach, so he saw plenty of Duran in that time. Whether the AL East familiarity matters here is a matter of perspective, but it’s a risk worth taking — and as we said with the Rockies, the Astros could always part ways with Duran at the deadline if needed.
Miami Marlins
Assuming that we’re indeed talking about giving up “pennies” for Duran, then we’d expect the Marlins to emerge as a potential suitor. Such a move could push incumbent left fielder Heriberto Hernández to right, where he often played while in the Rays’ minor-league system. Oft-criticized owner Bruce Sherman would also have another reason not to offer an eight-figure deal in free agency, and we know he loves saving money.
Duran grew up in California, so he’d at least be returning somewhere with nice weather — at least until summer and the dreaded “10-minute storm” arrives. Nothing ruins a mood more than getting unexpectedly drenched, only for the sun to return a few minutes later.
New York Yankees
For the Yankees fans who aren’t looking away in disgust just yet, let us remind you there’s precedent for such a move. Neither side takes the rivalry seriously anymore, with the Alex Verdugo trade — which also involved a struggling left fielder, though the latter was entering a contract year — immediately coming to mind. Older fans may also remember the Stephen Drew-Kelly Johnson swap in 2014, which actually later led to the Yankees acquiring Giancarlo Stanton, but that’s a lesson for another day.
Trent Grisham is widely expected to leave in free agency, and the Yankees haven’t publicly committed to Spencer Jones being in the Opening Day lineup. By no means would this be an eye-popping addition, but it certainly fits Brian Cashman’s love of low-cost outfielders.
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