After a second straight playoff elimination in the American League wild-card round at the hands of the New York Yankees, some changes are coming for the Boston Red Sox this offseason.
Just what those changes are remains to be seen. However, if there was a time to part ways with outfielder Jarren Duran, it is this offseason. If Breslow makes him available, suitors will look to acquire him.
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report dropped some offseason predictions despite the League Championship Series being underway, and he has Breslow trading Duran to the National League East Division.
Boston Red Sox Predicted To Trade Jarren Duran to the Philadelphia Phillies
Last season the Red Sox began the season with five outfielders for three spots. However, it ended up being the right move. Roman Anthony was injured in May and didn’t come back until the end of the summer. Regardless, Duran struggled, and a change of scenery might be in the cards. Philadelphia decision-maker Dave Dombrowski has extensive knowledge of Duran from his time with Boston.
“Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was still running the Red Sox when they drafted Duran in 2018. Despite his recent slide, he’s still proven to be one of the top players from that year’s draft class,” Rymer wrote.
A recent slide in 2026 would be an understatement. Duran slashed just .207/.266/.361 with 20 home runs and 69 RBIs. His WAR dropped from 9.0 in 2024 to 4.9 in 2025 to an eye-opening 0.4 this past season.
In his 2024 All-Star Game MVP season, Duran slashed .285/.342/.492 with 21 home runs, 75 RBIs, 48 doubles, and 14 triples. Since then, it’s been a slow decline in production.
“He’s just not the central figure in Boston that he was in 2024, when he was the All-Star Game MVP en route to a 9.0-rWAR season. His production especially cratered this year, in which even 21 home runs could not save him from an output of 0.4 rWAR,” Rymer wrote.
Boston Red Sox Predicted To Acquire Relief Pitcher for Jarren Duran
The Phillies came up short again this postseason. They were bounced from the National League wild-card series by the Atlanta Braves in three games. They dramatically won Game 1 before dropping the final two games.
Expect Dombrowski to be aggressive in adding this offseason, and Duran makes sense. A speedy outfielder with power, but also the ability to steal a base at any time, is intriguing. What could a possible return be? Rymer has relief pitcher Orion Kerkering going back to Boston.
Relief pitching is a question mark this offseason for manager Chad Tracy and for how things will look in 2027. Kerkering struggled at times this past season, but when he’s on, he’s good. He was 7-1 in 62 appearances in 2026, but he had a career-high 4.97 ERA, and his WAR dropped to 0.1. He was sent to the minors in September right before the playoffs after a pair of outings against the New York Mets.
It feels like Duran’s time in Boston is up. If Breslow can move him this offseason and add bullpen help, it’s certainly something that he needs to explore.
Boston Red Sox Predicted To Trade All-Star Outfielder to National League Contender