The 2024 Boston Red Sox learned they can have too much of a good thing. Boston's lineup is packed with lefty hitters, which created lineup imbalance issues all season.
Multiple Sox players have been floated as trade candidates to open lineup spots for right-handed bats this offseason. Triston Casas and Wilyer Abreu are among the options, but one sticks out above the rest as an exceedingly bad idea.
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report named Jarren Duran as the Red Sox's unpopular trade candidate this winter, and his assessment is correct. Duran's breakout season has cemented him as a fan-favorite and critical piece of Boston's lineup, and trading him could have disastrous consequences for the top of the order.
The 28-year-old slashed .285/.342/.492 with a .834 OPS over 160 games for the Sox in 2024. He posted a league-leading 48 doubles, tied the league lead in triples with 14 and found his home run swing with 21 blasts.
Bleacher Report correctly names Jarren Duran as Red Sox's most unpopular trade candidate
A reminder that Jarren rakes.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 27, 2024
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Duran also led his squad in runs, and it wasn't a close race. He clocked 111 runs on the season and Rafael Devers followed with 87. Duran's uncanny ability to beat outs, turn singles into doubles and doubles into triples gave the Red Sox an advantage every time he got on base. His 34 stolen bases surely generated some extra runs as well.
Duran's defense was one of the pleasant surprises of Boston's year. His performance in the outfield went from league average to 95th percentile range in just one offseason. Duran earned a Gold Glove nomination for his work in center field, and he also posted 83 appearances in left field.
The outfielder was Boston's offensive spark plug, and his greatly improved defense has turned him into a five-tool player. The Red Sox could sell high on Duran this year and pull in some impressive new talent, but his hard work and MVP-caliber 2024 campaign prove he could be a fixture of this Red Sox team for years. To say trading him would be "unpopular" is a massive understatement.
Duran embodies the Red Sox's new mentality of offensive aggression and speed on the base paths. He suits Boston's plans well, and trading him could be risky if the team doesn't find an adequate replacement for his energy and newfound defensive skill.