LAS VEGAS — One of the first orders of business for Craig Breslow this offseason was navigating a somewhat unorthodox situation with outfielder Jarren Duran. On November 4, the Red Sox signed Duran to a one-year, $7.7 million contract for 2026 in order to avoid arbitration, effectively declining their end of an $8 million club option to do so.
Duran wasn’t going to be a free agent either way and remains under team control through the 2028 season (barring a trade, which is possible). The deal was about setting Duran’s compensation for 2026 — and avoiding the arbitration process, which can become contentious if the sides fail to reach a quick deal and then have to present their sides in front of an arbitration panel in the early spring.
Duran’s deal, which locks in his 2026 salary early in the offseason, will pay him a $7.7 million base salary and includes $75,000 in potential incentives. He will earn an extra $25,000 if he reaches 450 plate appearances, another $25,000 if he reaches 500 plate appearances and another $25,000 if he reaches 550 plate appearances. The Red Sox also paid him a $100,000 buyout on the option.
“Without getting into the details of a specific negotiation, it just felt like this is what made the most sense for us and made the most sense for Jarren,” Breslow said Wednesday. “Any time you can avoid getting too deep into the arbitration process where there’s room for conflict or sides to become contentious, I think it’s great.”
Last offseason, Duran was arbitration-eligible for the first time and the sides had a hard time determining his value after a breakout 2024 season. On January 9 — the deadline to exchange salary figures, the Red Sox offered Duran $3.5 million for 2025 while Duran countered at $4 million. At that point, the Red Sox shut down negotiations due to their club’s “file-and-trial” policy and were prepared to go to an arbitration hearing.
There is a loophole in that policy, though, that the Red Sox can continue or restart talks to avoid a hearing if the talks involve a multi-year arrangement. Putting an option in those talks allowed them to continue, and on January 17, the sides agreed to a one-year, $3.75 million contract for 2025 that included incentives and an $8 million option for 2026. That option was largely symbolic in that the Red Sox had no reason to pick it up considering they wouldn’t lose Duran’s rights if they declined it. It was ultimately always a likely decline.
Industry sources signified that Duran’s $8.4 million projected salary (from MLBTradeRumors’ highly respected model) was thought to be high just like last year’s $4.9 million projection far exceeded what he actually signed for. With that valuation as the backdrop, the Red Sox offered what they thought to be a fair midpoint salary and Duran’s camp accepted — more than two months before a deadline to complete such deals.
The next question, of course, will be how Breslow figures out his outfield logjam with Duran, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and Masataka Yoshida all on the roster and Jhostynxon Garcia and Kristian Campbell also looming as options. For now, though, Duran is locked in for 2026.
“We’re really proud of what Jarren has been able to accomplish on and off the field,” Breslow said. “We’re really glad he’s part of our team. To avoid any of that unnecessary conflict is something that was worthwhile.”
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