Red Sox-Jarren Duran Rumors Are Sign Boston Should Avoid Deal

The Boston Red Sox have already gotten bold ahead of the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline.

Boston flipped lefty Connelly Early for infielder Curtis Mead and Red Sox fans should see him on the field shortly. The 25-year-old has 17 homers and 48 RBIs in 87 games played so far this season. Craig Breslow and the Red Sox's front office already went out and landed one intriguing right-handed bat. There's time to add another.

Between now and the Aug. 3 trade deadline, there are going to be plenty of rumors. One thing that stood out on Tuesday was the fact that ESPN's Jeff Passan shared on Threads that clubs around the league aren't viewing speedy outfielder Jarren Duran "very high."

Boston Shouldn't Trade Jarren Duran

Jul 26, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) high-fives shortstop Andruw Monasterio (32) after a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The fact that clubs around the league aren't viewing Duran as a great trade chip isn't shocking. He isn't having the season he likely hoped to have. Two seasons ago, Duran was an All-Star and finished the 2024 season with 9.0 wins above replacement. This season, he's slashing .198/.257/.345 with a .602 OPS, 13 homers, 54 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.

The home runs, RBI and stolen base numbers are all solid, but the .198 batting average number really stands out in a negative way. With clubs not viewing him highly right now, Boston should hold onto him, rather than dealing him.

There's a chance Roman Anthony comes back this season. There's also a chance that he isn't able to get back on the field this season for Boston. His status is completely up in the air. At least with Duran, the Red Sox know they have a guy who can make a legit impact any night, despite the low batting average.

Also, he has been better lately. Over his last six games. Duran is slashing .333/.304/.429 with a .733 OPS, one triple and six RBIs. Now, of course, that is a small sample size. But it shows that he is making progress in the month of July.

Passan is the most plugged-in insider in the league. If he's saying that teams aren't viewing Duran highly right now, that's a fact. For the Red Sox, they should simply keep him this summer rather than selling low. They will be better in the long run for it. Boston doesn't have the same outfield logjam it did before when Anthony was on the field. Rather than trading at a loss, Boston should simply bet on Duran turning things around.

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