After a surprising trade that offloaded some significant slugging talent and then a run into the playoffs, the Boston Red Sox seem to be just a few tweaks away from true World Series contention.
The front office jettisoned Rafael Devers in a trade with the San Francisco Giants well before last year’s trade deadline. And while that move seemed to suggest a regression in the standings was coming, the Red Sox instead surged into a wild card round matchup with the New York Yankees.
Now the team could be looking to replace Devers’ bat with a more affordable option and add a frontline starter to the mix this winter. And it could be looking to cut ties with Jarren Duran in a deal that moves those goals forward.
“While the Red Sox do have an abundance of outfielders, they also can only really afford to trade one of them away,” Michael Hurley wrote for NBC Sports Boston. “As such, they’ll be selective when it comes to maximizing the return out of whoever it is they opt to send away. (The guess here: Jarren Duran.)”
Duran regressed at the plate this past season after a breakout All-Star performance in the year before. But one thing that could facilitate a trade out of Boston is his contract.
Duran is owed just $7.7 million for next year with two more years of arbitration eligibility ahead after his decision to agree to a Red Sox offer earlier this month. During the Major League Baseball general managers meetings in Las Vegas, team executive Craig Breslow finally spoke out about his motivation to get that deal done so far ahead of the arbitration deadline.
“We’re really proud of what Jarren has been able to accomplish on and off the field,” Breslow said, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. “We’re really glad he’s part of our team. To avoid any of that unnecessary conflict is something that was worthwhile.”
There’s good reason for Breslow to feel that going to arbitration would have created some conflict between the two sides. Duran was widely projected to earn a contract closer to $8.4 million, Cotillo noted, so if the Red Sox didn’t feel he was worth that much, an arbitration hearing might have ensued. Surprisingly enough, Duran was willing to accept a lesser amount before it ever got to that point.
“With that valuation as the backdrop, the Red Sox offered what they thought to be a fair midpoint salary and Duran’s camp accepted — more than two months before a deadline to complete such deals,” Cotillo wrote.
Now, with relatively little owed to him next year and more club control ahead, Duran could be a more intriguing trade chip to one of the teams seeking some outfield reinforcement this winter.