Boston Red Sox Sticking With Jarren Duran Pays Off
The Boston Red Sox made a bold decision to keep All-Star Jarren Duran at the trade deadline, and it's already paying off. In the past seven games, Duran has finally turned it around, hitting .308/.333/.538/.871 with two home runs and four RBI.
Duran was having a horrific 2026 season, and his antics during the season made it seem like his time in Boston was done come August. However, the Red Sox opted not to trade him, much to Duran's surprise. "To be honest, I thought I was going to be released… I am the worst player in MLB statistically. I hate looking at the numbers but when you're going bad, you look at the numbers and it was pretty obvious how bad I was," Duran said (via Boston Globe's Alex Speier).
The Red Sox could have used the trade deadline to unload some baggage, but they chose to keep Duran, who was having a sub-.180 hitting streak for a long time. This decision has brought some relief to the Red Sox, who have openly admitted to their plans to try shopping him over the offseason.
Duran's future is probably still set in stone, with Roman Anthony coming back and no real place for Duran in the lineup. However, with this increase in hitting, Duran's time in Boston might not be as short as initially thought. He has two years of control left on his contract, and there could be plenty of suitors for the 2024 All-Star MVP.
The Red Sox' decision to keep Duran has also given them a chance to evaluate his performance and make a more informed decision about his future. With his recent hitting streak, Duran has shown that he can still contribute to the team, and it will be interesting to see how he performs in the coming weeks.
As for now, Duran's hitting streak continues, and the Red Sox are glad they didn't deal him. The question remains whether this success will be enough to keep him in Boston beyond the offseason. Only time will tell.
Source: Yahoo Sports