Insider Drops Clearest Hint Yet On Jarren Duran's Red Sox Future

There is a lot of buzz out there right now about the Boston Red Sox's outfield and who may -- or may not -- end up getting traded.

The only real guarantee is that Roman Anthony isn't going anywhere. Ceddanne Rafaela doesn't seem very likely to be on the move, but no one is at the level of Anthony in the sense of untouchable. Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu have been the two widely discussed as trade candidates dating back to last offseason.

The conversation carried its way through the 2025 regular season, but the Red Sox didn't trade from their surplus of outfielders and that helped down the stretch when injuries popped up. The conversation has already started back up, but it has been more of the same so far. There have been rumors about both Duran and Abreu, but nothing to show for it. While this is the case, USA Today MLB insider Bob Nightengale gave one of the most telling takes of the offseason so far on Duran and said that it would be a "huge surprise" if he doesn't get traded.

"Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran: The Red Sox believe that they need an upgrade over Duran, and that he needs a fresh start," Nightengale said. "It would a huge surprise if he’s in Fort Myers, Fla., come spring training."

Should the Boston Red Sox keep Jarren Duran?

Sep 17, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) reacts as third baseman Nate Eaton (40) slides home to score the winning run against Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers (23) during the tenth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

There have been rumors out there for both, but this is the first time a league insider has specifically made it sound like a trade involving Duran is going to happen. Most of the time, the chatter out there has been how the team "could" make a move or something like that. This is Nightengale going out and saying the Red Sox "believe" they need an upgrade and that it would be a "surprise" if Duran doesn't get moved.

He didn't leave much wiggle room there. Nightengale made it clear that he thins a deal with happen.

Now, if that is true, what could it mean for Boston? If Duran were to get traded, it arguably would be a bad move if it wasn't for a high-end starting pitcher. Duran won't be a free agent until 2029. In a down year in 2025, he was still a 4.7-wins-above-replacement player. In 2024, he was at 8.7. You don't trade someone like that without something massive in return.

Arguably, keeping Duran over Abreu would be a positive for the 2026 Red Sox, but that is one person's opinion. All eyes need to be on Duran after an update like that.

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