Red Sox All-Star Quickly Labeled Boston's Top Midseason Trade Candidate

It didn't take long for the trade machine to start whirring

Feb 18, 2019; Lee County, FL, USA; A general view of a Boston Red Sox helmet as Boston Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (19) walks on the field during a spring training workout at Jet Blue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

It's not just that the Boston Red Sox are off to a rough start in 2026, but their roster flaws have seemingly been exposed over and over.

Entering the season, the Red Sox told the public that they weren't concerned about having four outfielders, plus designated hitter Masataka Yoshida, to fit into four spots in the lineup each day. Yet, through 3 1/2 weeks, the offense has floundered while daily start/sit decisions have become far too big a plot point.

At some point, barring an injury that clears up the depth chart, the logjam is going to be unsustainable. The question, then, is which players become trade candidates.

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Will Jarren Duran be traded this year?

Apr 10, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) snags a St. Louis Cardinals fly ball to the outfield at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

ESPN's David Schoenfield fired one of the first in-season salvos on Monday, when he proclaimed 2024 All-Star Jarren Duran as Boston's top early 2026 trade candidate.

"The four outfielders-for-three positions is an awkward situation, especially with manager Alex Cora intent on giving Masataka Yoshida regular at-bats in the DH slot," wrote Schoenfield. "Then, you have Caleb Durbin, Trevor Story and Marcelo Mayer all struggling at the plate.

"Duran is also scuffling, and the episode last week, when he flipped off a heckler, points to his frustration. Duran is a good player with a lot of trade value because he's under team control through 2028, but if the infielders don't start hitting, the Red Sox will have to consider a roster realignment."

It's hardly the first time we've heard Duran's name mentioned in trade rumors. He was a popular subject of them last season before the trade deadline, and coming into the winter, it seemed early on as if he was destined to go, before gradual momentum dictated that he was more likely to stay.

The Red Sox have put themselves in a position to be bombarded with these kinds of trade rumors until someone goes, and Duran is probably still the top candidate, as he's closer to free agency than any of Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, or Wilyer Abreu.

If a deal happens, it won't likely be until closer to the end-of-July trade deadline, so this experiment in having too many capable position players still has to play out a while longer.