The Boston Red Sox hope to keep the key components of their club together for 2026. Boston helped do just that on Tuesday, by agreeing to a new contract with star player Jarren Duran.
“Rather than picking up Jarren Duran's $8 million club option, the Red Sox agreed to a new one-year deal with the outfielder. He wouldn't have been a free agent either way,” MLB.com reporter Ian Browne posted to X, formerly Twitter.
The deal is for one-year and $7.7 million, per The Athletic. Due to this deal, the Red Sox avoid arbitration with Duran. That process could have been messy between the two parties.
The news is good for Red Sox fans, who hope their team is on the rise. Boston made the American League playoffs during the 2025 season, before losing in a Wild Card series to their rival, the New York Yankees.
Duran posted a .256 batting average this regular season, with 16 home runs. He also batted in 84 runs, while stealing 24 bases.
Red Sox hope to win the AL East in 2026
Boston came up a little bit short of the American League East crown during the 2025 regular season. Toronto won the AL East, with the Yankees close behind. Boston came in third, but still won 89 games.
The club is looking for some starting pitching this offseason. Rumors are that veteran hurler Max Scherzer is on the club's radar. Scherzer just reached a World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays. The hurler says he wants to keep pitching into 2026.
Red Sox fans are surely happy that Duran is confirming his commitment to the team.
“Duran, 29, is under team control through 2028, but his name has surfaced frequently as a potential player to trade this winter, given the team’s crowded outfield. After a breakout 2024, in which he posted a .285 average and .834 OPS in 160 games (735 PA), Duran hit .256 with a .774 OPS in 157 games (696 PA) in 2025,” Jen McCaffrey wrote for The Athletic.
Red Sox fans hope Duran can help lead the team to a World Series in 2026.
