The biggest priorities for the Boston Red Sox this offseason are adding a right-handed starter to the rotation, ditching Jarren Duran, and adding a power bat to the lineup. There might be a way they can knock the first two off that list while clearing the path for a slugger to be added to the fold.
The Texas Rangers are desperate. Desperate teams will consider things that otherwise would seem out of left field. The Rangers were dealt a blow with the news that their center fielder, Evan Carter, underwent hip surgery, which will keep him out of action for the beginning of the 2027 season. Carter, a phenom during the 2023 postseason, has underperformed in recent years and has most of his value tied to his legs.
Texas already needed outfield prior to Carter's surgery, but now adding a player capable of covering center is paramount. On top of that, Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young set the club's offseason priorities as getting more athletic and more dynamic. He also mentioned durability as a key concern, which is an issue that has plagued Carter as well as fellow outfielder Wyatt Langford.
You know who's durable and, at least on paper, can be an athletic and dynamic player? That's right, folks, it's Duran. Texas could now be desperate enough to take him on in hopes that he can return to form, especially if trading for him helps in another way.
Beyond just the rehab and potential time missed, speed is such a critical part of Carter’s game that may be the biggest long-term issue here https://t.co/DcpIOEEy3y
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) November 2, 2026
The latest buzz out of Rangers camp is that payroll will remain flat year over year, sitting at $190 million. Currently, Texas is projected by Spotrac to sit at $182 million, leaving them precious little wiggle room to pursue much-needed upgrades to several areas of the roster. That has led Rangers insider Evan Grant to speculate that they'll need to trade at least one of their highest-paid players — Corey Seager, Jacob deGrom, or Nathan Eovaldi.
A Jarren Duran-Nathan Eovaldi trade makes too much sense for both the Red Sox and the Rangers
The issue the Rangers have in making such a deal is that all three of their big-money stars are coming off down years to some extent. Seager also has the baggage of having five years and $157.5 million remaining on his contract and is coming off another injury-plagued year. Eovaldi and deGrom are both entering the final year of their contracts.
The other issue that they face is that all three possess full no-trade clauses. For Eovaldi, this might not be an issue. If the veteran right-hander were to agree to be traded, it would seem that returning to Boston, where he's beloved and earned the moniker "Nasty Nate," while having the chance to pursue another ring before he hangs it up could entice him.
With that roadblock removed, the money might not be that much of an issue. Eovaldi is set to make $24 million in 2027, while Duran is projected to make $11.1 million in arbitration. So Texas gets about $13 million in salary relief, while the Red Sox get a valuable right-handed starter for a net cost of $13 million over one year. Maybe Duran isn't as radioactive as we thought after all.
Eovaldi dealt with some minor injuries this year and posted a 4.20 ERA over 145 2/3 innings. With that said, the 36-year-old recorded a sparkling 1.73 ERA over 130 innings in 2025. The durability is a bit of a concern, but he could be Sonny Gray 2.0, coming at a fraction of the financial cost compared to reuniting with Gray in free agency.
The final point here is that an Eovaldi-Duran trade would leave the Red Sox with room in the outfield to add a Randy Arozarena or Seiya Suzuki type of player, while also giving them additional funds to throw towards a slugger since they wouldn't have to also address adding a starter in free agency. This is the kind of move that could set everything in motion for a perfect offseason and give us everything we've been hoping for this winter.
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