The first half of the season has been odd and frustrating for the Boston Red Sox. It looked like the Red Sox might be able to challenge the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East after acquiring starting pitchers Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler in the summer and adding star third baseman Alex Bregman prior to the start of spring training.
Unfortunately, injuries and subpar play have prevented this team from playing consistently strong baseball, and with a 43-45 record, they are currently in fourth place in the division. They would be buried and out of the running for the playoffs in other years, but this year is different. With about half of the season remaining, manager Alex Cora’s side is just one hot streak away from earning a position in the American League Wild Card format.
The Red Sox are unlikely to be sellers at the trade deadline, despite the unfortunate outcome of the trade of stubborn All-Star Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants after he refused to learn the position and pick up a first baseman’s mitt.
They might improve their squad by making moves that would strengthen their weak defense and erratic offense. With the correct move, they may potentially enhance their starting pitching.
A trade including Jarren Duran, the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player from the previous season, would be the best move general manager Craig Breslow could make.
Despite being their most explosive and dynamic player, Duran has not produced nearly as well as he did the previous season.
Red Sox have not gotten what they expected out of Duran
Duran is cutting. 253/.312/.409 with 15 stolen bases in 20 attempts, 39 runs batted in, and 6 home homers. He has had trouble making contact in crucial moments, and his numbers are far lower than his 2024 season numbers. In scoring opportunities, Duran has left too many runners on base and struck out 97 times.
Although he is among the American League’s fastest players, he hasn’t played well on the bases. His attempts to take extra bases have resulted in outs, and he has just made too many errors.
In the field, the left fielder has likewise had a mixed season. Although Ceddanne Rafaela has dominated that position for most of the season, he seems more at ease in centerfield. Although Duran has misplayed a few relatively easy balls and turned outs into hits and runs for opponents, he appears to know how to field the ball when it comes off the Green Monster.
When Duran is playing at his best, he can set off the Red Sox offense, but this season, he has fallen short of that potential. The Red Sox also seem to have an abundance of outfielders, so it would seem that this squad would be better off dealing for one of them.Compared to the other contenders, Duran might offer more in a deal.
Red Sox could use a dependable starting pitcher
The Red Sox now have a strong No. 1 pitcher thanks to Crochet’s arrival, but the other starters haven’t always been reliable.
Buehler hasn’t started as frequently as he did during his best playing days with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Despite being in the rotation, he is nearing the end of his career with a 5-6 record and a 6.45 earned run average. Brayan Bello seems to be improving, while Lucas Giolito has been respectable in his 11 starts with a 3.99 ERA, but neither has been particularly reliable.
Tanner Houck, who earned All-Star honors last year, has had a rough season before landing on the injured list.
Trading Jarren Duran could give the Red Sox a reliable starting pitcher to strengthen the rotation behind Garrett Crochet.
Combining a pitching upgrade with Alex Bregman’s return from the injured list—and continued growth from young talents Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer—could put Boston in a strong position to contend for a Wild Card berth.
Although a playoff return might seem unlikely right now, the American League lacks a clear powerhouse aside from the Detroit Tigers.
Despite their struggles, the Red Sox are just six games back of the division-leading Yankees and Blue Jays—a gap that can still be closed.
Pulling off the right trade could make all the difference down the stretch.