Red Sox's Jarren Duran Makes Harsh Comments After Not Being Traded

Duran has never been one to sugarcoat things...

Jul 7, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) hits a single RBI against the Chicago White Sox during the ninth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jarren Duran's slump may be on the precipice of ending, but it's already gone on longer than anyone could have imagined.

Before homering in each of his last two games, Duran went 22 consecutive games without a round-tripper. In June and July combined, he batted .174 with a .473 OPS in 49 games. He crept his way to the bottom of the batting average and OPS leaderboards among qualified hitters.

Another trade deadline just passed, which meant another year of rumors that Duran's tenure in Boston might finally end, eight years after he was drafted in the seventh round. With two years left on his contract, Duran knows the trade rumors will start again as soon as the offseason hits -- and that's enough to make anyone uneasy as the stretch run arrives.

What Duran said about getting to stay

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

However, after his first-inning blast contributed to a 14-2 thrashing of the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, Duran was frank about why it was reasonable to expect the Red Sox to have gotten rid of him, plus why he was glad they didn't.

“To be honest, I thought I was going to be released,” Duran said Tuesday, per Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. “I am the worst player in MLB statistically. I hate looking at the numbers but when you’re going bad, you look at the numbers and it was pretty obvious how bad I was. I thought I was going to be released.

“I’m just thankful that I have the opportunity to continue this run with this team and this organization, and hopefully make a playoff push.”

That playoff push has gotten more certain by the day, as the Red Sox have somehow won 29 of their last 34 games even as Duran has struggled for most of that window. The 29-year-old's multi-layered personality has also rubbed the fan base the wrong way at times, particularly when he showed up teammate Willson Contreras and third base coach Chad Epperson in a viral incident last week.

But sometimes, the last two months after the trade deadline are an opportunity for all parties involved to let their guard down and just play ball. The Red Sox have to be hoping they get a past version of Duran to help their chances at a World Series down the stretch.