During the 2023 offseason, the Boston Red Sox took a different approach than most teams to free agency, and went looking for players that wouldn't run them into the ground financially: one of those players was outfielder Adam Duvall -- who they signed to a one-year, $7 million contract.
Early on, however, Boston lost Duvall to a distal fracture on his left wrist - yes the same one he had season-ending surgery on in 2022. At the time, he was hitting .455 with four home runs, and 14 RBI -- easily one of the hottest hitters on the team, if not the league.
Luckily, this time he didn't need surgery, and on Wednesday, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald announced that, Duvall is out of his cast. So, now that he's close to returning, what happens to the guys who have picked up the slack in the meantime?
Here's who should stay, who should get sent down, and who is fighting for their spot.
Who should stay on the Red Sox roster: OF Jarren Duran
Since being called up from Triple-A Worcester, Jarren Duran has made the case to stay in the big leagues, or at the very least to make Boston to think twice before sending him back down to Worcester.
In his first 16 games since being called up, Duran has hit .400 along with two home runs. He has also driven in 12 runs all while hitting 10 doubles to lead the MLB. He has also collected 38 total bases - giving him an average of nearly 2.5 bases per game (2.4 to be exact).
Why He Should Stay (Outside The Numbers)
One thing that Duran also represents for Boston is speed. He may have only stolen two bases, but his ability to run down balls in the gap is nearly irreplaceable. This speed, also brings the possibility of a Duvall-Duran platoon.
When Duvall returns to action, he's sure to feel a bit rusty, especially coming back a wrist injury on his bottom arm. He's bound to be extra delicate with his swings, and with that, there is always the possibility of some more strikeouts than usual when he first comes back.
It will be good to have someone there who has already been swinging a hot bat to be there as a back-up to Duvall. Duvall represents the power in center field, but Duran will represent the speed and quickness this team has already established.