With the MLB offseason now underway, the Seattle Mariners were named as a trade fit for Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran. Duran is coming off a down season, but his underlying metrics indicate a bounce back season is possible. Previously, Duran performed as one of the better all-around outfielders in all of Major League Baseball. He possesses plenty of power and speed, and he also grades out as an average defender overall.
The Seattle Mariners may need a corner outfielder replacement for All-Star Randy Arozarena as many expect him to depart in free agency. Perhaps Randy will even sign with the Boston Red Sox, making Duran available for a respectable price. If the Seattle Mariners feel they can get Duran back to the player he used to be, a move like this could pay off major dividends.
However, Duran also is known as a fiery personality within the clubhouse, and he has been apart of a few controversies in the past involving fans. Given the Mariners are looking to improve their clubhouse atmosphere, there seem to be too many red flags for the Mariners to be interested.
Seattle Mariners Trade Speculation Involves Boston Red Sox Jarren Duran
This season, Duran batted .207/.266/.361 with 20 home runs and 21 stolen bases. Looking at his contact rates, his hard contact increased significantly this season, yet his batting average of balls in play was .252. Simply, Duran attempted to become less of a contact bat and more of a power bat in 2026, and the results did not help his offensive value. For his career, Duran owns a .254 career batting average, so this is not the norm for him.
In his three best seasons with the Boston Red Sox from 2023 to 2025, Duran’s batting average sat at .276 but he only hit 45 home runs in that span with only one season getting over 20 home runs. It’s logical why he made the adjustment, but he also lost what made him such a fearful presence at the plate before. Seattle tends to rely on power to be successful, so the path for Duran resolving his issues with the Mariners seems to be narrow.
Duran Seems Like a Gamble For a Team In Need of a Guaranteed Option
While the Mariners do need an outfielder, there is no reason for them to sacrifice prospect capital for a player coming off a down season. That may be more appropriate for free agency, and the Boston Red Sox will assuredly not give up of Duran for nothing. While he may not cost a top 100 prospect from the Mariners farm system, it will be a player not from that accolade. The offseason will yield plenty of superficial connections like this. At the end of the day, it all depends on the price, but Duran may see himself moving teams this offseason given where the Red Sox are at heading into 2027.
Seattle Mariners Named Trade Fit For Boston Red Sox Outfielder