The Boston Red Sox were active in a lot of trade rumors at the trade deadline, but they didn’t make the big splash that everybody expected, unless you count the Rafael Devers blockbuster from mid-June.
The one name that continued to come up in trade rumors was All-Star Jarren Duran, but the Red Sox held onto him, despite interest from more than a handful of contending clubs.
FanSided’s Christopher Kline recently suggested the Red Sox would finally cut ties with Duran in an offseason deal following the decision to hold onto him at the trade deadline.
“Duran has been swinging the bat well of late, up to .265 with a .793 OPS and 11 home runs on the season. He’s a good-to-great center fielder with speed on the bases, a sharp glove and plenty of raw power,” Kline wrote. “And yet, Boston faces an outfield logjam with Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu all on the roster, too. Rafaela is the weakest bat metrically, but he packs serious pop and he’s also a true superstar on defense, with 16 outs above average.
“The Red Sox simply cannot justify keeping Rafaela out of his natural position. He’s fine at second base, but the defensive impact is so much more pronounced in center. With Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer due back eventually, too, the Red Sox will run out of room for all their core pieces eventually. Someone has to go. Duran feels like the odd man out.”
The Red Sox have a logjam in the outfield, and they need to clear it up. Their farm system also has a few top prospects who could crack into the big leagues if needed. Kristian Campbell has a little bit of experience out there, too.
At the end of the day, the Red Sox are likely going to be hunting for another ace to pair next to Garrett Crochet during the offseason. They could, and likely will, use Duran as the big trade piece in a deal to land this ace.
It’s unclear whom the Red Sox could target, but Duran should be involved in a blockbuster deal before next season.
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