The Boston Red Sox are four games under .500, and they sit 9.0 games back in the American League East division. However, the Red Sox are just 4.5 games back in the Wild Card race. There is still plenty of time for Boston to make some noise with the Summer just getting started.

The one problem for the Red Sox right now is they are without one of their best hitters, Alex Bregman. Bregman suffered a strained quad, and he has been out for quite some time. The bad news for Boston is Bregman is still a long time away from returning to the diamond.

However, the Red Sox did promote top prospect Roman Anthony, and prospect Marcelo Meyer has not been play too bad. Boston will need some other players to step up a little bit more, especially on the mound. With that in mind, there is no need for the team to panic heading into the dog days of the season.

The Red Sox do not need to necessarily become buyers at the deadline, but they should definitely not be sellers. In fact, there is one player that has been thrown around in trade conversations recently that Boston needs to hang on to.

Red Sox path to the playoffs

As mentioned, the Red Sox are not out of the playoff picture just yet. There have been plenty of teams in history to start a season under .500 and still make the postseason.

Just last year, the Detroit Tigers started the year 37-44 through their first 81 games. When the Washington Nationals won the World Series in 2019, they started the season off 19-31. The Tigers fell short last year, but making the playoffs should be the goal for Boston. Once the postseason starts, anything can happen.

In order for the Red Sox to get to the postseason, they need their pitchers to get better. On the season, Boston's starting pitchers have the fifth-highest ERA (4.59), sixth-highest WHIP (1.41), and the third-highest batting average against (.271). The starting pitching has been the biggest problem for the team, and it needs to be addressed.

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If the Red Sox can fix their problems on the mound, there is a chance for them to make the playoffs in 2025.

Boston should hang on to Jarren Duran

Jarren Duran is slashing .271/.324/.421 with four home runs, 37 RBI, 37 runs scored, and 79 total hits in 67 games played. The left fielder has been great for the Red Sox this year, and he still has four years of team control.

If a team were to trade for Duran, Boston would get a fantastic return. They would be able to rebuild their pitching staff, or get a couple more top prospect hitters. However, that would not be the smart move for the Major League team or the organization.

The Red Sox need to hang on to their star left fielder. He is the future in the outfield for Boston, and has the potential to be a building block for the Red Sox to get back to the Fall Classic. The team has to find a way to keep competing with the New York Yankees and the rest of the division. Duran is going to be a big part of that.

If Boston needs to trade some players this season, there are plenty of options. Jarren Duran should not be one of those options.