Red Sox Might Not Need to Trade for Caleb Durbin's Replacement

Baseball is a funny game...

May 31, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin (5) celebrates after hitting an RBI triple during the seventh inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The February trade with the Milwaukee Brewers might never look like a win on paper for the Boston Red Sox.

As new third baseman Caleb Durbin struggled mightily to start his Red Sox career, starting pitcher Kyle Harrison has spent this entire season going gangbusters for the Brew Crew. But Harrison's successes aren't relevant to the question of whether the Red Sox need a Durbin do-over.

As of a week ago, there was a strong sentiment that the Red Sox should cut their losses and bring in another third-base option via trade. And while it's not as though that possibility is gone now, it's worth taking stock of Durbin's turnaround and what it could mean moving forward.

What's clicked for Durbin this week

Jun 3, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin (5) hits a double to drive in a run against the Baltimore Orioles in the fifth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

In the span of just six games, Durbin has raised his season OPS from .479 to .555. He has an extra-base hit in each of those games (five doubles and a triple) and multiple hits in half of those games. Sure, there's a .409 batting average on balls in play baked into that stat line, but that's what you'll get with a lot of contact and limited home run power.

It seems Durbin has found his identity again at the plate, which is made doubly impressive by the fact that he spent most of the second half of May out of the starting lineup. He caused a stir at the end of last week when he worked out with hitting coaches outside the Red Sox organization to help him get back on track.

Hey, whatever works, works.

Rising from the ranks of Division III baseball to the starting third baseman for the Red Sox is an extremely uncommon trajectory, and it has to make Durbin's job even tougher to turn things around when he's struggling.

It's not Durbin's job at this point to salvage the optics of the Harrison trade. He's just got to prove he's the best third baseman for the job, and over the last week, that's what he's been. He'd probably have to keep it up a while longer to ensure the Red Sox stopped entertaining the idea of trading for someone new.