The Boston Red Sox‘s outfield is getting crowded, which has led to even more trade rumors involving Jarren Duran.
But the stalwart Boston outfielder opened up about why how trade rumors are affecting his family and he copes with the array of reports at Boston spring training in Fort Myers, Florida on Monday.
Duran, who will turn 30 in September, has been the subject of trade rumors for about the past year. But he is coming off another solid season where he led the American League in triples (13) for the second consecutive season even though his batting average (.256) dipped for the third straight season.
Still, with Boston graduating prospects like Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu, and trying to transition infielder Kristian Campbell to the outfield during spring training, a Duran trade seems likely.
Jarren Duran ‘Never’ Looks at Trade Rumors
Duran’s name has been in trade rumors for some time, since the Red Sox have had highly touted outfield prospects in the pipeline.
But Duran is trying to keep his focus on playing for Boston and trying to help his team, even though the rumors affect the people around him more.
“I never look at that stuff,” Duran said. “My parents look at it enough for me. They text me and go ‘did you get traded?’ I’m like ‘do you really think I’m not going to tell you if I get traded?'”
When pressed for details about how often his family checks in, Duran made it seem like it was more often than he’d like.
“I tell them ‘you don’t need to be doing that. I’m going to let you know if it happens,'” Duran said. “It’s usually like once a cycle, and then we’re done. They kind of mellow down from there.”
So even though he isn’t necessarily scouring the various trade-rumor MLB sites, Duran trusts the process and has faith he’ll be OK.
“I never give it any two cents,” Duran said. “It’s in God’s hands.”
Jarren Duran is Likely to be Traded by the Red Sox
Duran’s hitting regressed last year after his dream 2024 campaign, where he led the majors in plate appearances (735), doubles (48) and triples (14) while winning All-Star Game MVP in his lone Midsummer Classic appearance.
But Duran still had a solid campaign with 70 extra-base hits and a .774 OPS while playing 157 games. That means he’ll still have trade value, and he is the most likely trade candidate based on his prospect profile, age and the fact he has two seasons of team control beyond 2026.
If he isn’t traded, Duran is likely to see his playing time reduced in Boston in 2026 due to the array of ultra-talented prospects.
Anthony is considered the best hitter, but may be a DH long term. But the Red Sox still have Abreu (26 years old, 22 home runs, .786 OPS, Gold Glove) and Rafaela (25 years old, 16 home runs, .708 OPS, Gold Glove) as mainstays in center field and right field and are hellbent on converting Campbell to left field on a full-time basis.
It never hurts to have depth, especially since injuries can happen at any point. Boston knows that, since it lost first baseman Triston Casas for the year early in 2025 and only replaced him by acquiring Nathaniel Lowe from the Washington Nationals at the trade deadline.
But Duran’s value is likely to dip further if he does not play every day. That means the Red Sox would be wise to deal him while they still can.
Jarren Duran Breaks Silence on Trade Rumors as Red Sox Spring Training Gets Underway