The shopping list for the Boston Red Sox appears to be very specific this offeason.

After a third-place finish in the American League East and a wild card round loss to the New York Yankees in the playoffs, the Sox have been connected to high-end starting pitching, high-leverage relievers, and power hitters. They also need a corner infielder to replace Alex Bregman, or they could just re-sign him.

On the trade front, the Red Sox are known to be willing to move outfielder Jarren Duran, with Jim Bowden of The Athletic writing this on Friday:

The Red Sox continue to listen to offers for outfielder Jarren Duran and will move him for the right corner infielder or starting pitcher.

There's a few things going on here, so let's examine what we need to know:

The Duran file

--Now 29 years-old, Duran will play most of next season at 29. He won't turn 30 until September.

--He's under team control for three more seasons (through 2028)

--The All-Star MVP in 2024, Duran had a down, but still good, year in 2025. He hit .256 with 16 home runs, 84 RBIs and 24 stolen bases. He posted a 114 OPS+, leading the American League in triples for the second straight year (13).

Why would the Red Sox trade him?

Well, for starters, the Red Sox have a logjam in the outfield. Roman Anthony and Ceddanne Rafaela have long-term contracts, and Wilyer Abreu is younger. He's also a two-time Gold Glove winner, so Duran is really the odd-man out.

He's also getting more expensive via arbitration and will make nearly $8 million next season. Do the Red Sox need to spend that much (and more subsequently) on an outfielder that doesn't quite fit?

The case for keeping him

Well, he's been productive. And two, the minute you think you have surplus at a position, somebody gets injured. Do the Red Sox want to play that game and then all of a sudden find themselves shorthanded in 2026?

Do the Sox have leverage?

Yes and no. On one hand, they have a good player with three years of team control remaining. That is always worth something in the marketplace. On the other hand, they have a player who very clearly is available, which tends to drive returns down.

The Red Sox can get a good player back for Duran, but can they get the kind of impact player they want? Would the Brewers deal one year of Freddy Peralta for three years of Duran? Maybe. Could they deal Duran to the Kansas City Royals for one year of Kris Bubic? Probably. Is that the kind of impact arm they want to slot behind Garrett Crochet?

Would the Twins deal two years of Joe Ryan for three years of Duran? Seems iffy given where the competitive window is for them.

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