Another week, another piece of Jarren Duran drama. Despite the Boston Red Sox's recent status as the hottest team in sports, the vibes around the team were briefly down because of what happened on the field on July 30 against the Athletics..
Duran can’t seem to get out of his own way this season. His play at the plate has been abysmal. His 64 WRC+ is the second-worst among all qualified hitters this season, and his .202 batting average is also the second worst. His rebound in the field from 2025 is likely the only reason he is still getting regular playing time, though the Red Sox added another right handed outfielder at the trade deadline who will steal some of his at-bats.
The off-the-field antics have always been there with Duran, but usually his play on the field has been enough to save him. This season, there seem to be more headlines about issues not surrounding his play than ever before, and the support from Red Sox Nation is waning every day.
The Red Sox have lucked out the last two seasons with injuries saving them from hard decisions in the outfield, but it feels like this offseason they will truly have to pick a path. Roman Anthony seems to be finally on the mend, Ceddanne Rafaela has turned himself into a franchise cornerstone, and Wilyer Abreu is getting better every season. Duran is going in the opposite direction.
Jarren Duran is approaching non-tender territory following performance with Red Sox, outside drama
Last offseason, media and fans debated whether the Red Sox should trade Duran or Abreu. Rumors surrounding both popped up during the winter, but ultimately the Sox decided to not move either player. All the reports suggested Craig Breslow was valuing Duran much higher than the rest of the league does, and they couldn't match up on a fair deal in his eyes. Now, the lefty might be a non-tender candidate this offseason.Â
Following his breakout 2024, Duran got a healthy raise. His contract grew even more last offseason, and as things do in arbitration, he’ll be looking for another raise this offseason. The soon-to-be 30-year-old is already making $7.7 million this season, an almost $3 million raise from 2025. That will likely be up near $10 million next season.Â
Is Duran worth almost $10 million? Is he worth keeping around to keep the outfield logjam and off-the-field headaches? Likely not.Â
Jeff Passan already reported that Duran trade value wasn't high enough to move this deadline, and that “it's more about prospects.” Boston ended up not moving him. Unless the outfielder turns into the 2024 version of himself over the final two months of the season, no reason would change by the offseason.
It isn't one event that has led to the downfall of Duran. Multiple issues with fans, media, and now teammates have turned a former fan favorite into more of a leper on the team. With the deterioration of his play this season, it's hard to see any other option but a non-tender this offseason.Â
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