Caleb Durbin's first few months in Boston were brutal. There's no two ways about it: He didn't belong in the major leagues throughout April and May. The fact that the Red Sox continued to start him at third base spoke to the failures of their roster construction more than their belief in his ability to turn things around.
And yet, turn it around he has, at least here in June. He is hitting .321/.351/.594 in his last 30 games, good for a 153 wRC+. He's gone from being one of the worst qualified hitters in the league to the Red Sox's most productive regular practically overnight. If this weren't already shaping up to be a lost year, this breakthrough would be one of the best stories in baseball.
Unfortunately, this is a lost year in Boston, in no small part because of Durbin's struggles in the first few months of the campaign. His overall numbers this year — a 82 wRC+ and .673 OPS — are rather problematic, especially for a team that's become accustomed to getting elite production from the hot corner.
But do you know what's even more concerning? Jarren Duran has actually been worse than Durbin this year! His 61 wRC+ and .604 OPS are among the lowest marks in baseball and mark rock bottom for the former All-Star.
Jarren Duran has played himself out of trade discussions with horrible June performance
Duran's hot finish in May is all but a distant memory at this point; he's gone from a team-leading nine homers last month to just two this month, with a dismal .147/.168/.227 batting line to show for his efforts. His 37.1% strikeout rate in June is gargantuan and reminiscent of his early career days, and his eight wRC+ suggests he's basically been twice as bad as a replacement-level player.
As the Red Sox barrel toward the trade deadline pretty clear sellers, we again have to confront the trade question. We know Craig Breslow turned down a huge package for Duran last year, featuring Dylan Cease and Ethan Salas from the Padres. Such a deal absolutely won't materialize again this year, at least not while Duran is playing like this.
Even if he were to turn things around prior to the deadline, though, there's no reason to think Breslow will suddenly wise up and finally rip this band-aid off. Back when he found life at the end of May, reports came out that the Red Sox were once again placing an unreasonable price tag on Duran's head in trade talks.
Perhaps his cold streak this month will finally wake the front office up. If not, we may all have to strap in for a turbulent ride through Duran's final few months in 2026.
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