Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran. Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Red Sox not trading Jarren Duran already paying big dividends

By Jackson Weber | Last updated Aug 5, 2025 11:54 AM ET

There was a lot of smoke around the Boston Red Sox (63-51) trading star outfielder Jarren Duran before the MLB trade deadline.

The youth movement took over in Boston after Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow shipped out superstar designated hitter Rafael Devers to San Francisco in mid-June, and many thought there was more to come.

Top prospect Roman Anthony and emerging young talents Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela were projected to be the outfield of the future and potentially the now for the Red Sox.

With that came plenty of trade rumors that Duran could be the odd man out. The San Diego Padres were particularly relentless in their pursuit of the 2024 All-Star Game MVP, but the Red Sox decided to hold on. That has paid off in spades so far.

Jarren Duran helps put up a 5 spot in the 1st inning!

He now has 12 HR, 18 SB, and a 116 wRC+ this season. He’s been red hot as of late#DirtyWater

pic.twitter.com/hP0y6C33Po
— Running From The OPS (@OPS_BASEBALL) August 4, 2025

Duran has been one of the leaders behind Boston's surge up the standings, now holding the top wild-card spot in the AL and just three games back of Toronto (66-48) in the AL East.

The 28-year-old has been on a heater since the calendar turned to July, batting .298 while slugging six HRs and 24 RBI in the process. He had just six home runs in the previous three months combined.

His contact ability and speed are always a threat to the opposition, so the uptick in power is the cherry on top for an offense that needed it after losing their middle-of-the-order slugger in Devers.

If Duran continues to play at this level, which he's more than capable of doing, and the rest of the lineup keeps pitching in around him, the Red Sox will be a dangerous team to face down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs.

And who knows, maybe their penultimate series of the season from Sept. 23-25 in Toronto could be for all the marbles in the AL East.

Jackson Weber

Jackson Weber is a sports writer with a BComm in Business and Sport Management from the University of Guelph. While he has focused primarily on NHL coverage in recent years, he brings strong knowledge and passion for the NFL, MLB, and NBA. Following all four major leagues year-round, Jackson delivers honest, opinion-driven stories on the biggest topics in sports

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