Red Sox Fenway Fest attendees might reveal Jarren Duran fate

Before the 2025 season, the Boston Red Sox introduced Fenway Fest, the new, single-day version of their winter fan festival. The event will take place on January 10 between Fenway Park, MGM Music Hall and the House of Blues.

Tickets to Fenway Fest include admittance to Fan Fest, an autograph and photo session, and panel discussions, per the Red Sox's website. On December 16, Boston announced on Twitter the players who will attend the fan festival, and there are a few notable omissions, but one stands out among the rest.

Jarren Duran was not listed among the Fenway Fest attendees. The outfielder could just be busy and unable to attend, but fans have taken his absence and run with it, as they tend to do.

The recent spike in Duran trade rumors — like the report that the Royals are still in on him, despite the Sox's asking price being too high for their taste — have led some people to believe that a trade is imminent. Wilyer Abreu has also been named as a potential trade candidate by multiple reporters and insiders, but he's listed as an attendee, which has further spun the rumor mill around a potential Duan trade.

Red Sox list of Fenway Fest attendees could be foreshadowing a Jarren Duran trade

Trade rumors have followed Duran for the past few seasons, especially after his excellent 2024 campaign when he placed eighth in American League MVP voting. The Padres have been interested in the outfielder for multiple seasons, although they've appeared less frequently in rumors after the 2025 trade deadline, the Royals and Phillies have also been tabed as potential suitors in the past. The Phillies have announced that their outfield is set after they signed former Ranger Adolis Garcia, however.

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has attested that the Red Sox don't need to trade an outfielder to make their roster work. Despite their outfield logjam, the Sox needed call up top prospect (and now Pirate) Jhostynxon Garcia to fill an outfield spot in September due to late-season injuries to Abreu, Roman Anthony and Rob Refsnyder. Anything is possible and three outfielders could simultaneously fall injured again, but its unlikely.

Duran, Abreu, Anthony and Ceddanne Rafaela are all capable big leaguers deserving of everyday playing time, and the Red Sox have discussed their plan to address one of Abreu's key weaknesses — hitting against lefties — this offseason to turn him into more of an everyday player. That, the many trade rumors and his absence from Fenway Fest could suggest Duran may not don a Red Sox uniform next season, despite what Breslow has tried to telegraph in recent days.