The Boston Red Sox have already been at the center of some early offseason trade rumors, especially when it comes to outfielder Jarren Duran.

MassLive.com's Sean McAdam reported that Boston is "widely expected" to shop Duran this winter when the hot stove turns on and the market opens up.

"Duran is now two years away from free agency," McAdam wrote. "He’s coming off his worst year (.207 BA, 76 OPS+) but still has value because of his combination of power (20 homers) and speed (21 steals) to go with above average defense. It’s widely expected that the Red Sox will look to deal him this winter, but he’ll no doubt be tendered."

McAdam's report had two big takeaways. First and foremost, McAdam made it clear Duran isn't being non-tendered. We already broke that down. Let's unpack the idea of a trade now.

The Red Sox Have A Big Decision To Make

On the negative side, Duran batted .207 in 2026 in 151 games played. He struck out a lot (165) and he had his fewest walks in a season (41) since 2023. There was a lot of swing-and-miss and he didn't get on base much. That hurt his trade value, for sure.

But there were positives as well. He was great defensively and finished in the 90th percentile in outs above average. When he did make contact, he did good things. Despite batting just .207, he had 20 home runs, 69 RBIs, 21 stolen bases and 15 doubles. The speed is still there. The power is there. But he has to lower the swing and miss to get back closer to player he was in 2024 and 2025.

It would be surprising if there weren't teams out there willing to take a gamble on the speedy outfielder. Duran is 30 years old and still has two seasons of control left. He won't be a free agent until after the 2028 season comes to a close. For the Red Sox, they have to continue to weigh whether it would be more helpful to flip him, or bet on him returning to the player he was — and still can be. Boston is loaded in the outfield. If a change isn't made, then Boston likely will enter the 2027 season with one of the outfielders in the designated hitter spot, like it did to kick off the 2026 season.

Duran is a polarizing player right now. When he is at his best, he is an elite player. He has shown that. But in 2026, he showed some serious struggles as well. Arguably, the Red Sox shouldn't close any doors, keeping him or trading him. If teams come to Boston and offer a bad package, you still don't have to move him yet. But if the Red Sox can get anything of value in return — or see a path to improving the DH spot elsewhere — then you make a move.