The Boston Red Sox are looking to find their footing in a suddenly crowded AL East. As the Red Sox continue to manipulate their roster, Alex Cora has already decided who will lead off for Boston.

Cora announced that Jarren Duran would be the team‘s leadoff hitter, via Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. The only caveat is that Duran must stay healthy.

That was a problem during the 2023 season, as Duran suffered a devastating turf toe injury that prematurely ended his campaign. While he played in a career-high 102 games, the Red Sox are counting on much more from Duran in 2024.

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But when he was healthy, the outfielder showed potential of being a value lineup setting for Boston. In his 102 games, Duran set new career-highs in batting average (.295), home runs (eight), RBI (40) and stolen bases (24). He led the Red Sox in batting average and stolen bases. His .346 on-base percentage ranked third-best on the team.

With the Red Sox seemingly open to trades, Duran has seen his name come up in rumors. The Red Sox are in need of some major pitching help and perhaps a deal could bring in some arms. However, as long as Duran is in Boston, Alex Cora is planning on utilizing him in a major role.

The Sox are still trying to find some hitters to put in the lineup behind Jarren Duran. They recently lost Justin Turner to the Toronto Blue Jays. But as they search for that power, Boston can at least be confident in knowing they have found their leadoff hitter; assuming Duran stays healthy.