There is no doubt that the Boston Red Sox are looking to move on from outfielder Jarren Duran this offseason. It’s just a matter of finding the right deal, after missing opportunities in the past to sell high on him.
Despite having a 20/20 season in 2026, Duran was atrocious at the plate with a .627 OPS, the worst of any full MLB season in his career. This on a team where offense was an issue overall. So, as Bob Nightengale recently reported, moving Duran would open up the Red Sox to make an interesting new signing.
“Rival teams say they would be stunned if the Boston Red Sox don’t trade Jarren Duran this winter after hitting a career-low .207 with a .266 on-base percentage and .361 slugging percentage,” Nightengale wrote. “If they move Duran, it could put them in line for free-agent outfielder Randy Arozarena.”
A leftfielder, Arozarena is going into his age 32 season. Despite that, he’s coming off one of his most productive offensive seasons, with an .865 OPS and 26 home runs. ESPN analyst Paul Hembekides predicted he’ll get a four-year, $104 million contract.
How Randy Arozarena Would Fit With the Boston Red Sox
There have been a few problems that the Red Sox have been fighting in their lineup over the last couple of seasons. First and foremost, there is a logjam of outfielders, with the Red Sox often carrying five or more outfielders who need playing time.
Even with that, there are some challenges in the lineup to deal with. The most notable of those is a lack of consistent power. More precisely, there is a lack of power from the right-hand side of the plate. That has also led to some less than traditional choices at DH for the Red Sox in recent seasons.
Randy Arozarena would address a couple of those issues right away for the Red Sox. He’s a power hitter from the right-hand side of the plate. Much like Willson Contreras, he should be the kind of player who thrives at Fenway Park.
In this scenario, the Arozarena would be joining an outfield that includes Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu. Duran would be out via the trade. Then, the Red Sox would need to find a spot for Arozarena and Masataka Yoshida, among other outfielders.
Arozarena would likely spend time at DH, potentially splitting time there with Anthony. Meanwhile, President of Baseball Operations Craig Breslow would still have an outfield logjam to address.
The MLB Lockout is Looming Over the Red Sox Plans
Through all of this, the Red Sox need to make their moves around the upcoming MLB lockout. That’s expected to start on December 2nd and will stop negotiations and trades in their tracks.
In the meantime, teams have been very slow to make moves of any kind. There are rumors, but very little actual movement in free agency. With a battle over a salary cap and floor on the horizon, it seems as though teams want to know what the CBA looks like before becoming active. However, it’s unclear when that will actually be and how much time there will be to make moves between the end of the lockout and next season.
So, unless something happens soon, these are all just rumors. That’s true, regardless of how confident teams are that the Red Sox want to move Duran.
Red Sox Trade Rumors: Could Jarren Duran Move Open Up Major Signing?