\u201cJarren will be the first person to say that his 2026 season was disappointing from a performance standpoint,\u201d said Sox president of baseball operations Craig Breslow<\/a>. \u201cWe also know what he\u2019s capable of. We\u2019ve seen that in \u201824 and \u201925. He\u2019s just such a dynamic athlete that he really fits what we\u2019re trying to build. So we\u2019re glad that he\u2019s on our roster and part of the team.\u201d<\/p>\n The Sox have faced a theoretical outfield logjam, given a roster featuring Duran, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Masataka Yoshida. Yet that quintet has rarely been healthy at the same time, and so Duran \u2014 despite an up-and-down performance \u2014 has averaged 156 games over the last three seasons.<\/p>\n Still, his performance has slid considerably over that time. He was an All-Star and top-10 MVP candidate<\/a> in 2024, a player whose final 2025 numbers (.256\/.332\/.442) remained those of an above-average outfielder despite some significant peaks and valleys, and one of the least productive hitters<\/a> in baseball in 2026.<\/p>\n That three-year span suggests a huge gap between Duran\u2019s ceiling and floor \u2014 a fact that can complicate his value in the trade market. Some teams have suggested the Sox are seeking major league value for Duran commensurate with his pre-2026 performance.<\/p>\n No team wants to sell low on a player if it anticipates a bounceback. At the same time, no team acquiring a player coming off the worst year of his career would want to ignore the season that just occurred.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re approaching taking trades, I think what 30 teams are trying to do is decouple what someone just did from what we think they\u2019re going to do,\u201d said Breslow. \u201cSelling high or selling low is going to be a look back on what their performance just was. What we\u2019re trying to evaluate is, what is their talent and therefore what type of season or seasons are they going to have in the future? \u2026 Ultimately, the position that I would take is, if there isn\u2019t a team who values a player in the way that we value them, then there probably isn\u2019t a trade partner for us with respect to that player.\u201d<\/p>\n There are other complications to trading Duran aside from his 2026 downturn. Right now, he has two remaining years of arbitration-eligible team control. (MLB Trade Rumors projects Duran to receive a salary just north of $11 million<\/a> in 2027.)<\/p>\n But one evaluator noted that discussions about trades for players with one or two seasons of remaining team control are particularly difficult given the forthcoming work stoppage<\/a> could upend the sport\u2019s labor rules.<\/p>\n A team could be trading for a partial season in 2027, which might limit what it\u2019s willing to sacrifice in terms of players with additional years of control. Further, it\u2019s at least possible that the path to free agency could be shortened on the other side of the lockout, meaning a team that trades for Duran might only get one pre-free-agent year if acquiring him.<\/p>\n There are other trade ideas that could sidestep such long-term questions. For one example: Perhaps the Sox could explore a trade with the Dodgers involving righthander slugger Teoscar Hern\u00e1ndez, who had a slightly above-average line of .256\/.308\/.441 while averaging 21 homers over the last two years.<\/p>\n The Sox are looking to add righthanded thump to take advantage of Fenway \u2014 the team, according to major league sources, also has checked in on free agent outfielder Seiya Suzuki \u2014 while the Dodgers are looking to add athleticism. <\/p>\n Perhaps there are other matches of shorter-term options on the market. For now, teams have seen the GM meetings as a chance to begin trade conversations rather than finalize them. Deals involving Duran \u2014 or, for that matter, other Sox players \u2014 don\u2019t appear imminent. <\/p>\n Instead, there are two certainties surrounding Duran: The Red Sox are open to exploring trades involving the outfielder, and establishing his value is complicated. Just as they\u2019ve been for much of the last two years. <\/p>\n Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @alexspeier<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Jarren](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/FQR2QP7HXNTGJG7I3YHNHT354Q.jpg\")
Jarren Duran was the MVP of the All-Star Game in 2024, and finished eighth in AL MVP voting for the season.Stacy Revere\/Getty<\/p>\n