There were plenty of rumors surrounding the Boston Red Sox trading Jarren Duran at last year's trade deadline and throughout the offseason.
He was not dealt, and the team had an outfield logjam. He was sharing playing time as the team tried to get him, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and Masataka Yoshida regular at-bats. However, after Anthony's injury, Duran has been a regular alongside Rafaela and Abreu in the outfield.
He is hitting just .199 with a .599 OPS. He is far from the player he was a couple of years ago when he was an All-Star. He declined last year, but still posted a .774 OPS. His trade value is at an all-time low, but the Red Sox need to move on now.
For one, when Anthony is back, Duran will be expendable. He has two more years of club control, and it's unlikely the team wants to sign him to an extension. Rafaela and Anthony are already signed to extensions, and Abreu is under club control through 2029.
Second, the Red Sox already have Kristian Campbell, an outfielder full-time now, signed to an extension, and he has been hitting well in Triple-A as of late. He could potentially step in and replace Duran right now while the team awaits Anthony's return. Campbell is hitting .312 with a .931 OPS in his last 22 games in Triple-A.
There is simply no reason to keep Duran around if the Red Sox know they have Campbell and Anthony could return soon. It's not like Duran is doing anything special at the plate or in the field. Campbell could easily take his place, and considering the Red Sox have already given him a $60 million deal, he should be in the big leagues.