Barring a drastic turnaround, the Boston Red Sox will be on the outside looking in on the playoff chase. As a result, selling off veteran assets will be the best course of action as we approach the August 3 trade deadline. If you ask MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal, the top chip that Boston should be dangling during the summer swapmeet is the most obvious trade candidate of them all: Jarren Duran.
Appearing on the "Foul Territory" podcast with Todd Frazier, Rosenthal broke down the case for trading Duran, but not before Frazier tee'd him up, gassing up Duran by saying: "My most intriguing guy, for me that you may not agree with me, but at the same time, I love this guy to death. Jarren Duran, I think he's one of the most fascinating players. I got to play with him one time. He's fast, he does everything." Frazier then mentioned that Duran needs a change of scenery.
Rosenthal agreed and stated that the Red Sox should have traded Duran over the offseason, but stated that if the team sells, Duran should be at the top of the list.
"He [Duran] will be in demand again, and he is a really intriguing, exciting player. So, I'm with you, they should entertain that. Frankly, even if they're in it, if [Roman] Anthony is healthy, they still have, not an excess of outfielders, but they have the ability to trade an outfielder," Rosenthal said.
If the Red Sox approach the trade deadline as sellers, @Ken_Rosenthal believes Jarren Duran should be at the top of their sell list. pic.twitter.com/P9t6k4rzR0
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) June 12, 2026
Plenty of teams could find themselves eyeing Duran, but whether or not they'll be willing to meet Boston's price is the question. Reports are that Craig Breslow is still viewing the 29-year-old as the seven-WAR player he was in 2024, rather than the much lesser value he's provided over the last season and a half. If Breslow continues to overvalue him, no deal will be had.
The longer the Red Sox hold Duran, the more his value diminishes. This isn't just about team control, either. While Duran has, at times, looked like a dynamic do-it-all outfielder, outside of 2024, that's mostly come in brief flashes rather than becoming the norm.
The Red Sox need to bite the bullet and take what they can get for Jarren Duran
While he's on pace for a career-high in homers with 12 so far, his overall offensive performance has been maddeningly inconsistent so far this season. The .879 OPS Duran posted in May was exciting, but it has been sandwiched by a .481 mark in the season's opening month and a .558 OPS to this point in June. 2025 wasn't as drastic, but outside of the 1.093 OPS he posted last July, he was either an average or slightly below average hitter every other month last season.
Then, there are the headaches that he continues to bring to the team. Whether it's immaturity, a lack of leadership, or insensitive comments, the veteran outfielder has been nowhere near the standard bearer you'd hope for, especially with a lot of younger pieces on the roster.
Frankly, Breslow cut off his nose to spite his face by not proactively seeking a deal over the winter when teams were chomping at the bit to acquire Duran. No one was going to pay the sky-high price that the much-maligned executive demanded, but if he lowered his expectations slightly, he could have gotten solid value while adding much-needed balance to the roster.
Fast forward to today, and it looks like Duran is worth even less. If the Red Sox hold onto him into the winter, many factors will drop his price tag even further. If they wait until next year's trade deadline, they might find that his value has turned to dust. It might not be for the treasure chest of assets that Breslow wants, but the August 3 deadline could be his last chance to truly extract value for a player who needs a change of scenery.
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