FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The logjam the Red Sox have in the outfield could have made a player like Jarren Duran wary of all the trade rumors that surrounded him, not just in the offseason, but dating back to last July’s Trade Deadline.
And really, the rumors were no slight on Duran’s ability as a player. It’s just that Roman Anthony, the team’s emerging star and just 21 years old, isn’t going anywhere. And the reigning Gold Glove Award-winner in center field (Ceddanne Rafaela) and right field (Wilyer Abreu) are a key part of the equation.
But even if his role isn’t quite as defined as in other seasons, Duran is very much still here with the Red Sox, and not eligible for free agency until after the 2028 season.
Instead of fretting about the possibility he could be moved, Duran let his parents do that for him.
“I never look at that stuff. My parents look at it enough for me,” Duran said. “They text me and go, ‘Did you get traded?’ I’m like, ‘Do you really think I’m not going to let you know if I get traded? C’mon.’ I never give it any two cents. It’s in God’s hands, and whatever happens, happens.”
At the end of the month, Duran will leave Red Sox camp to play right field for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. He is thrilled to again have the opportunity to represent the country his father, Octavio, hails from.
After the WBC, Duran will get back to focusing on left field, where he made 129 of his 152 starts last season.
After finishing as a defensive finalist in center field in a breakout 2024 season, Duran had his share of struggles as a primary left fielder in ‘25, where he was graded at -5 Outs Above Average per Statcast.
That grade didn’t include an unfortunate mishap in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on a routine fly ball from Aaron Judge. Duran didn’t read it well off the bat, and it dropped off his glove when he dove, allowing the Yankees to score a key run during the 4-3 loss that tied a series Boston lost in the rubber match the following night.
Per usual, Duran was harder on himself than anyone else.
“I didn't really have to go into a full dive there and just pushed the ball on myself a little more. It’s on me,” Duran said that night. “This one’s going to sting a little bit. I know the game is 100 percent on me.”
While the "100 percent" part was clearly not accurate during a game the Red Sox made several other mistakes, Duran is past all that now.
He admits left field isn’t as easy for him as center, but he hopes to make the necessary adjustments to excel in front of the Green Monster.
“Playing left is tough. Weird angles. Especially playing at Fenway. It’s the hardest left field in the big leagues,” Duran said. “I’ll just continue to play out there, get reps and shag during BP. That is going to help me. We all know repetition is going to help me get better.”
Considering that Anthony also will get most of his outfield reps in left and manager Alex Cora can only play three outfielders at a time, someone from the talented quartet will have to DH. Cora already said he won’t play his two Gold Glovers at DH.
Perhaps there will be some kind of split in the DH spot between Duran and Anthony. Duran hasn’t heard anything for sure from Cora. Duran made one start at DH last season.
“Well, I would be the fastest DH in the league, so that’s a start,” Duran quipped. “I haven’t heard anything like that, so I don’t know. I’m just going to do whatever they need me to do. Wherever AC and the front office need me, I’m going to do my best job.”
After a 2024 season during which most things went right for the MVP of that year’s All-Star Game, Duran grinded through ‘25 for a solid year that included a 4.7 bWAR. In raw numbers, Duran slashed .256/.332/.442 with 86 runs, 41 doubles, 13 triples, 16 homers, 24 steals and a career-high 84 RBIs. Many players around the game would take that season.
“I’m always disappointed in myself,” Duran said. “I always feel like I don’t do the best that I can do. I feel like I let the fans down sometimes, or my teammates. It’s a new year, so you just have to flush it and go out there and do my thing.”