It’s likely that the upcoming MLB trade deadline will be a minor affair in Boston, even as the Red Sox sit with a handful of needs and a respectable crop of tradeable prospects. The team is young and still coming together and while the front office must bolster the roster for the second half–something that has been a disaster for the team in recent years–an overpay could hurt the long-term outlook.
But if a blockbuster is to come around, there’s no doubt who would be at the center: left fielder Jarren Duran, who has been in trade rumors for much of the season as a crowded outfield picture will likely make him extraneous in the future.
Duran is aware of this, of course. He also issued a reminder on Saturday in the Red Sox’s 4-2 win over the Dodgers of why so many teams covet him–Duran went 3-for-4 and rapped two triples no the night, bringing his league-high total to 12.
Jarren Duran Hears Trade Rumors From his Dad
But Duran says he is not sweating Thursday’s deadline. He does not read much of it, though he admits his father keeps him apprised.
“Honestly, that’s probably one of the things I actually don’t stress about,” Duran said about being mentioned in rumors, via MassLive. “I have no control over it. So if it happens, it happens. But I don’t have social media like Twitter and stuff like that. So I never kind of see any of that stuff. But my dad always keeps me on my toes and shoots one over to me every once in a while.”
Red Sox Seeking Trade Deadline Pitching
At 56-50, the Red Sox are in a mass of six teams within 5.0 games of a wild-card berth in the American League, though it is open to question how much of a push some of those teams are going to make in the coming days.
The Red Sox are known to be seeking a starting pitcher, and are almost certain to add one in before the deadline, as several options–Kyle Harrison, Tanner Houck, Patrick Sandoval, Kutter Crawford, Hunter Dobbins–have struggled or been whacked by injuries. A backup catcher and a first basemen could also be on the deadline menu.
“If it happens, it happens, but it’s just all rumors for now, so I’m just gonna keep having fun with my boys,” Duran said.
Jarren Duran: ‘I Love This Team’
And that’s one of the things that would make Duran difficult to trade. He is well-liked by his teammates, and unflinchingly has their backs. He insisted the Red Sox need do nothing at the trade deadline and the team could still improve.
“I love this team,” Duran said. “Personally, I feel like we do it all. We can hit homers. We can run. We’re athletic. We’re young. And the best part about us being so young is if we lose the hard game, we’re laughing and joking, flushing it, and we’re ready to move on to the next game. …
“But having such a young group, they kind of keep you on your toes. It’s like, ‘Dude, who cares? We’re going to play again tomorrow. We have another game tomorrow.’ So that’s always cool to have the young guys in here to keep us on our toes and keep us excited for the next day.”
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