Boston’s outfield depth and pitching surplus are reshaping the offseason board.
Per Jen McCaffery of The Athletic’s latest mailbag, one thing is becoming increasingly clear inside the organization:
The Red Sox don’t view their roster crunch as a problem.
They view it as leverage.
Nowhere is that more apparent than with Jarren Duran.
For much of the offseason, the working assumption within the Red Sox organization was that Duran would be part of a four-man outfield rotation, with the Red Sox finding creative ways to spread at-bats while also accounting for Masataka Yoshida’s presence.
That idea hasn’t disappeared entirely, but the calculus has shifted.
The addition of Ranger Suarez on a five-year deal didn’t just solidify the rotation - it quietly widened the trade lane.
Boston has too many starters to realistically carry into the season, and too many outfielders for a roster that still needs infield help.
When those two logjams intersect, Duran sits squarely in the middle.
A team source indicated to McCaffery that there remains a real opportunity to trade from the outfield, and among that group, Duran appears to be the likeliest piece to move.
Jun 11, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) hits a solo home run during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. (Paul Rutherford/Imagn Images)He’s entering his age-29 season, carries a $7.7 million salary for 2026, and still offers the exact skill set teams covet:
Speed, power, positional versatility, and postseason experience.
In recent weeks, the sense was that Duran was more likely than not to be in the Opening Day lineup. Now, that certainty has eroded. Internally, according to McCaffery, it feels closer to a coin flip.
That doesn’t mean the Red Sox are eager to move him. Far from it. Duran’s edge, intensity, and ability to change games on the bases remain of value to Craig Breslow. But the front office is operating from a position of strength. With four legitimate outfielders and a surplus of starting pitching, they can afford to be both selective and opportunistic.
The more realistic path isn’t a one-for-one deal, but a package. A controllable pitcher paired with an outfielder could net the type of bat the Red Sox have been searching for all winter. That’s where Duran’s name keeps resurfacing, per McCaffery. Teams are far more likely to part with impact infield help for him than they are for a salary dump like Yoshida, set to make $18.6 million each of the next two years.
According to McCaffery, Arizona has long admired Duran, and while Ketel Marte was reportedly taken off the market, Boston’s newly reinforced rotation gives them flexibility to sweeten an offer.
McCaffery also said Chicago remains a possibility as well, with Nico Hoerner fitting the exact profile of player the Red Sox have prioritized: contact, defense, and versatility. Houston, meanwhile, would jump at the chance to add Duran’s athleticism, though the return would need to justify the defensive compromises on the other side.
None of this, of course, guarantees a deal. But it does underscore where the Red Sox are right now.
They’re no longer shopping out of necessity. They’re probing from a place of depth.
And if a move happens between now and spring training, it’s becoming harder to ignore the possibility that Duran is the piece that makes it all click.
Jun 4, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran (16) rounds third base to score against the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning at Fenway Park. (David Butler II/Imagn Images)JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.