We all know how trade deadline seasons go — safe one minute, packing for a new city the next. And this is exactly what Jarren Duran and the Red Sox faithful have been dealing with lately, as speculation swirls around the speedy outfielder’s future in Boston. But here’s the twist: the Red Sox have put those rumors to rest, and honestly? The timing couldn’t be more interesting.
Want to take any guess what sparked this whole Duran trade drama? It all started brewing after the Red Sox made that blockbuster move, trading Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants just over a month ago. When Boston sat just a game over .500 and then stumbled to a 3-7 record in their first 10 games without Devers, the trade rumors started flying faster than a Duran stolen base attempt. Suddenly, everyone was wondering if the organization would continue dismantling its roster.
The Red Sox are likely to retain all of their outfielders through the deadline unless they’re blown away with an offer in the next 10 days, according to @JesseRogersESPN. pic.twitter.com/XuW5YFAIVD
— Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) July 22, 2025
But here’s where it gets real – Duran’s emotional response to all the speculation recently resurfaced, and man, it hit different. “I have no control, so why would I even give it two thoughts? I just don’t think about it. If it happens, it happens. I’ll break down crying,” the outfielder admitted. Tbh, it makes sense – imagine having your entire future hanging in the balance while trying to focus on playing baseball at the highest level.
Plot twist alert! ESPN’s Jesse Rogers just dropped the news that flipped everything – Boston’s keeping their entire outfield crew unless someone blows their minds with an insane offer. Assistant GM Paul Toboni backed this up hard, telling ESPN, “Throughout the whole year, we thought we had a really good team. We were kind of waiting for it to click. That streak reconfirmed the thought that we had a good team.” That clutch 10-game win streak? Total game-changer, launching them into playoff hunt mode. But just when everything seemed to be clicking for Boston, another bombshell dropped that could completely scramble their deadline plans.
Houck’s Setback Adds Urgency to Red Sox Trade Plans
Speaking of game-changers, here’s the curveball nobody saw coming that could flip Boston’s entire deadline strategy. Well, this is the kind of news that makes Red Sox fans want to throw their remote at the TV. Tanner Houck, last season’s All-Star who was supposed to anchor Boston’s rotation, just saw his comeback story take a brutal turn. The righty was grinding through a rough season – we’re talking an ugly 8.04 ERA through nine starts – when his flexor pronator strain landed him on the IL.
Houck kicked off his rehab assignment on July 4th, probably feeling optimistic about getting back to form. Then Saturday happened – boom! The injury flared up again during his recovery work, sending him straight back to the IL like some cruel baseball joke. His five rehab outings? A disappointing 5.74 ERA that had everyone holding their breath.
Image: MLB.com
Manager Alex Cora dropped the hammer with sobering honesty: “He’s going to stay on the IL. They checked on him. There’s no surgery needed. Just rest. Re-set him now, get treatment, and see where we’re headed after that.” Translation? Nobody knows when this guy’s coming back. “I can’t give you an answer right now,” Cora admitted. “This happened during the week. He felt it in his last one.”
Boston’s rotation is hanging by a thread with a 4.00 ERA, and while Garrett Crochet’s been carrying the load and Lucas Giolito’s found his groove (1.43 ERA since June 10), losing Houck indefinitely just cranked up the trade deadline pressure to maximum overdrive.
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