Latest news with #Duran
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10 hours ago
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As Jarren Duran finishes stellar July (1.094 OPS), Red Sox have ‘freed him up' do even more
MINNEAPOLIS — Jarren Duran's first three months were a disappointment, as he hit just .253 with a .723 OPS. In July, though, he outperformed a breakout 2024 season in which he was named All-Star Game MVP and garnered American League MVP votes. Duran capped off an excellent month Wednesday when he went 3-for-5 with a double, homer and four RBIs in the Red Sox' 13-1 win over the Twins at Target Field. He finished July having hit .317 with five homers, three triples, five doubles, 21 RBIs and a 1.094 OPS in 26 games — and the Red Sox hope a lineup change will help unlock him further in the season's final two months. 'He has been good the whole month,' said manager Alex Cora. 'You look at his numbers: the walks, driving the ball, playing good defense in center and left field, running the bases. He's one of the most dynamic players in the big leagues and I'm glad he's playing for us.' Duran drove in five runs in all of June, hitting .210 with a .701 OPS after a poor May (.697 OPS). But a homer on June 30 against the Reds set the tone for a July that was perhaps the best month of his career and catalyzed a Red Sox team that led baseball with a 17-7 record in the month. Duran likely won't be traded before Thursday's trade deadline but that doesn't mean he hasn't experienced a good bit of upheaval in the last few weeks. Starting mid-June, Cora started using other leadoff hitters — like Rob Refsnyder, Nate Eaton and Romy Gonzalez — against left-handed pitchers, dropping Duran lower in the lineup. Duran was also impacted by the roster crunch in the wake of Roman Anthony's call-up and Masataka Yoshida's return, sitting twice in four days (July 19 and 22) and serving as the designated hitter once (June 21). Marcelo Mayer's wrist injury forced Ceddanne Rafaela to play more second base and Duran, who had exclusively played left field for two-plus months, to shift to center, where he has now logged eight starts since July 9. And over the weekend, Cora threw another wrinkle into the mix when Duran, the leadoff man against righties for the last two seasons, was shifted to the third spot in the order with Anthony hitting first. Through four games, the results have been fantastic for Boston. Duran is 7-for-17 (.412) with two homers, three doubles, five RBIs and two walks. Anthony has turned into even more of an on-base machine, reaching base in 11 of 19 at-bats since he started leading off. 'I led off, I think, every game I ever played in the minor leagues,' said Anthony, who was 2-for-5 with a double and walk Wednesday. 'I know the routine that goes into it. As the leadoff guy, my job is to find my way on base and I think I've been doing a pretty good job of that. It's easy when we're putting up the amount of runs we're putting up and we have the guys behind me.' Duran, who had never hit third in his career before Sunday, said he can fine-tune his approach a bit more by seeing the starting pitcher face another left-handed hitter (Anthony) in the first inning before he gets to the plate. So far, so good. 'I think we saw these last few days what it's allowed him to do. It has freed him up,' Anthony said. 'I'm just trying to get on base for him and the guys behind me. When you do that and set the tone as the leadoff guy, you give a guy like Jarren who's so damn good the ability to drive in runs, free up and not have to think about it.' After mixing and matching with different combinations throughout the season, Cora feels like he has settled on a perfect 1-2-3 punch of Anthony, Alex Bregman and Duran at the top of his lineup against right-handers. 'Jarren hitting third is going to work,' Cora said. 'It's working right now. We're giving him the freedom to do whatever he wants in that spot. Obviously, Alex is going to control the at-bat. The first two at-bats are going to be very tough for the opposition.' Even without Bregman on Wednesday, Boston was able to pound the Twins' pitching staff (which included position player Kody Clemens) with 13 runs and 16 hits. 'The guys did an amazing job offensively,' said Cora. 'We've got to give them credit.' More Red Sox coverage Red Sox make first trade before deadline, acquire lefty reliever (with starting experience) Red Sox starter says having two young kids has cured day game woes: 'It's the reality of it' Why Shohei Ohtani left Dodgers game mid at-bat with trainer MLB trade rumors: NL contender acquires potential Red Sox trade target Red Sox players have done their part; now, it's time for front office to do theirs | Sean McAdam Read the original article on MassLive.
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10 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox reactions: Jarren Duran's 4-RBI day powers blowout over Twins before trade deadline
MINNEAPOLIS — Instant reactions as the Red Sox (59-51) once again jump out to an early lead against the Twins and cruise to a 13-1 victory (and series win) a day before the trade deadline: 1) Jarren Duran is red-hot. Boston's new No. 3 hitter entered the day hitting .298 with five homers, eight doubles, four triples and a 1.071 OPS in his last 24 games since June 29 and had another big day, blasting another monstrous homer — plus a single and a double — while driving in four runs. Duran turned a one-run game into a 4-1 lead with a two-run single off starter Zebby Matthews in the fifth. An inning later got a first pitch cutter from Noah Davis (who was in spring training with the Sox) and didn't miss it, crushing it 416 feet at 107.5 mph. He added a hustle double in the top of the ninth. Duran now has three homers in his last eight games. He had five extra-base hits in three games against the Twins. 2) Brayan Bello's struggles with free passes (he had four walks) didn't stop him from turning in another very good start. The righty has fixed his day game woes in 2025 and was good again Wednesday, holding the Twins to one run over seven innings. He allowed five hits and struck out five. Minnesota once again couldn't cash in on scoring chances, leaving six on base against Bello. Bello now has a 3.19 ERA in 110 innings so far this season and has put together his best prolonged stretch as a big leaguer in recent weeks. 3) Roman Anthony remained an on-base machine in the leadoff spot. He singled, doubled and was hit by pitch to cap off a stellar series in which he reached base nine times in 16 plate appearances and scored five times. Anthony is already an offensive star. His fifth-inning double off the right-center wall was the hardest hit of his short MLB career at 113 mph. It looked like it was hit even harder. 4) Trevor Story got the Red Sox on the board with his second homer in as many days with a 110.8 mph rocket off starter Zebby Matthews that barely cleared the left field fence. After a prolonged cold streak after the All-Star break, he's getting hot again. Story doubled, too. 5) Two light-hitting members of the lineup showed signs of life in the win. Masataka Yoshida, after entering with .220 average and .531 OPS, snuck a two-run single through the right side to turn a 4-1 lead into a 6-1 advantage in the fifth. He later laced his first home run of the year in the ninth inning off position player Kody Clemens, who started the game at first base. Yoshida quadrupled his RBI count and now has four this season. Connor Wong had his second extra-base hit and first multi-hit game of 2025, blooping a third-inning double and then singling in the fifth. He scored both times he reached base. 6) Ceddanne Rafaela is a highlight reel in center field, as everyone saw again Tuesday night when he made an exceptional diving catch. But he makes an impact at second base, too. In the third, Minnesota was threatening with two men on base after Bello issued two walks. Ryan Jeffers lifted a flare to shallow right-center and Rafaela, using his outfield instincts, made a difficult catch to end the inning to keep it a 1-1 game. 7) Roger Clemens' son, Kody (an infielder) came in to pitch in the ninth inning... and it didn't go well. He gave up a three-run homer to Romy Gonzalez, then a solo blast to Yoshida as part of a five-run frame. Everyone's stat line looked better as a result. 8) The Red Sox, winners of two series in a row, have kept their heads above water during a difficult post-All-Star break stretch and are now 6-6 in the second half of the season. That's acceptable considering the tough schedule (Twins aside), especially in a mushy American League. 9) The Red Sox will have Thursday off — though the front office won't with the trade deadline at 6 p.m. ET — before beginning a homestand Friday against the Astros as Alex Bregman faces his former team for the first time. Here's the schedule (with probables) for that three-game set: Friday, 7:10 p.m. ET — RHP Hunter Brown (9-5, 2.54 ERA) vs. TBA Saturday, 4:10 p.m. ET — LHP Colton Gordon (4-3, 4.74 ERA) vs. RHP Walker Buehler (6-6, 5.72 ERA) Sunday, 11:35 a.m. ET — LHP Framber Valdez (11-4, 2.62 ERA) vs. RHP Lucas Giolito (7-2, 3.80 ERA) More Red Sox coverage MLB trade rumors: NL contender acquires potential Red Sox trade target Red Sox players have done their part; now, it's time for front office to do theirs | Sean McAdam As Jarren Duran finishes stellar July (1.094 OPS), Red Sox have 'freed him up' do even more Giants in spiral since Rafael Devers trade as postseason chances dwindle Red Sox trade rumors: Boston among several teams 'prominently in' on Twins closer (report) Read the original article on MassLive.
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10 hours ago
- Sport
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MLB trade rumors: NL contender acquires potential Red Sox trade target
There won't be two Durans in Boston. The Philadelphia Phillies are close to acquiring star closer Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported on Wednesday. USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale reported the Twins will receive Eduardo Tait and Mick Abel in the deal. Tait is the Phillies' No. 4 prospect, while Abel is ranked No. 6. On the even of the MLB trade deadline, Jhoan's name came up frequently and was connected to several teams including the Red Sox. While Boston already has closer Aroldis Chapman in its bullpen, adding another arm in the bullpen to bolster it would benefit the club looking to make a legitimate postseason push. Duran has a 2.01 ERA in 49 appearances with 53 strikeouts and 18 walks. He's also recorded 16 saves. MassLive's Sean McAdam reported that the Red Sox indeed inquired about Duran, but the Twins' asking price was high as they looked to maximize their return for the star closer. The Phillies are 61-46 going into Wednesday's game against the Chicago White Sox and hold the second National League Wild Card spot. More Red Sox coverage Red Sox make first trade before deadline, acquire lefty reliever (with starting experience) Red Sox starter says having two young kids has cured day game woes: 'It's the reality of it' Why Shohei Ohtani left Dodgers game mid at-bat with trainer Red Sox players have done their part; now, it's time for front office to do theirs | Sean McAdam As Jarren Duran finishes stellar July (1.094 OPS), Red Sox have 'freed him up' do even more Read the original article on MassLive.
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10 hours ago
- Business
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What we're hearing on Red Sox trade deadline plans with six hours to go
The trade market is moving fast, and with six hours to go before front offices have to put their proverbial pencils down, the Red Sox have made just one move, shipping prospect Blaze Jordan to St. Louis for veteran lefty Steven Matz. There are expected to be more to come. Here's what we're hearing with six hours to go before the 6 p.m. ET trade deadline: 1) At this hour, most of the players who have been linked to the Red Sox are still on the board. Shane Bieber, Jhoan Duran and, surprisingly, Eugenio Suarez are the exceptions. But many big names, especially on the starting pitching market, have yet to move. The wild card on the market remains Minnesota's Joe Ryan. People around the Twins didn't anticipate them moving Duran, who is under team control through 2027. If the Twins are in for a dime, are they in for a dollar? Does the Duran move make it more likely that they'll deal Ryan? Folks in the game are wondering. 2) It's assumed by many to be a lock that the Diamondbacks deal starters Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, who represent two of the top rental pitchers on the market. But there is a bar to clear. Both right-handers are candidates to receive a qualifying offer so the Diamondbacks are going to want more than a potential compensation pick would be worth. There's a world in which they deem the offers they're getting to not clear that bar. Both Gallen and Kelly would be very good fits for Boston. 3) The pursuit of Eugenio Suarez as a potential first base option, as first reported by The Athletic, shows that Craig Breslow is not ruling out offensive upgrades, even with pitching remaining the priority. It still feels like Tampa Bay's Yandy Díaz represents a North Star of sorts for the Red Sox when it comes to first base upgrades but the Rays operate creatively and the trades of Danny Jansen and Zack Littell don't signal that they're going to sell off more key pieces. Baltimore's Ryan O'Hearn is out there, too. 4) The Matz-for-Jordan deal is very, very similar to the trades Breslow made in his first deadline running the Red Sox last year. Think: spare part for rental that represents a small upgrade. The key is getting better results than a year ago, when every deal flopped. And shopping for bigger fish. 5) Alex Cora remains close with Christian Vázquez and with the Twins in sell mode, one baseball source said 'all (the Red Sox) have to do is call' if they wanted to land their former catcher. It might come down to whether the Sox view Vázquez, who has a .519 OPS and is making $10 million this year, as a true upgrade over Connor Wong, who has shown a little bit more with the bat in recent days. Availability isn't the issue with Vázquez. 6) It feels like the crazy bullpen market has ruled the day so far. Every team could benefit from someone like new Padre Mason Miller, who is under team control through 2029. So guys like that are going to come at a super high price (with Leo De Vries headlining the package). But there have been affordable prices paid, too. Ryan Helsley would have represented more of a late-inning upgrade than Matz for the Red Sox, though Matz was a priority for Boston. One evaluator familiar with Boston's system said a package headlined by toolsy outfield prospect Miguel Bleis would have been comparable to what the Mets gave up for Helsley. 7) The Marcelo Mayer injury forced the Red Sox to shift Ceddanne Rafaela to second base way more than they'd prefer, but it did clear the outfield logjam in a way that allows everyone to play basically every day. For that reason, the urgency to trade someone like Jarren Duran has lessened. But here's a factor that could come into play this afternoon: The Red Sox know better than anyone that Duran's performance can be volatile, with high peaks and low valleys. One thing working against them a month ago was his poor/mediocre start to the season. His value has risen with a fantastic July that should put him in the AL Player of the Month conversation. That might excite some teams who were wary four weeks ago. 8) As part of their check-ins on veteran starters around baseball in recent weeks, the Red Sox seemed more interested in White Sox righty Aaron Civale than his teammate Adrian Houser. Civale is a Connecticut native and Northeastern alum who has not been shy about wanting to play in Boston. Of course, he has no control over where he goes in this case. It would be a low-cost fall-back. 9) The Red Sox took on the rest of Matz's money before he hits free agency this fall, which equals about $4 million in CBT calculations. They're more than $10 million over the first threshold as is. Boston has $9-10 million to go before crunching up against the next CBT threshold of $261 million. That would seem to be hard to get to. But one executive who has had talks with the Red Sox has said money is a factor in their negotiations. There's always the possibility of a John Henry-imposed budget, which in this case would be higher than the ones he has installed in previous seasons. 10) It's a small thing, but a 40-man crunch isn't going to play a big role this afternoon. The Red Sox effectively had two free spaces on their roster with Hunter Dobbins and Tanner Houck being 60-day injured list candidates. BETTING: The Red Sox are +850 to win the AL East over on BetMGM. Our BetMGM Sportsbook review shows you how to sign up and use their platform. More Red Sox coverage First baseman linked to Red Sox leaves Rays game Padres acquire All-Star closer, send MLB's No. 3 prospect to A's in blockbuster trade Pitcher linked to Red Sox acquired by 1st place AL East team Fenway Insider Live: Sean McAdam on Craig Breslow, trade deadline Red Sox trade rumors: Boston was 'in mix' for All-Star 3B to play 1B (report) Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jhoan Duran trade grades: Breaking down Phillies-Twins deal
Dave Dombrowski finally did it. Just ahead of Major League Baseball's trade deadline day, the Philadelphia Phillies' president of baseball operations made a big splash by landing one of the top closers on the market — Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins for Mick Abel and Eduardo Tait. The move by the Phillies is a big one with the team in a "win now" stage with Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Zack Wheeler, J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber towards the end of their primes or on expiring contracts. Here's how we're grading the Jhoan Duran trade from the Twins to the Phillies: REQUIRED READING: MLB trade deadline rumors: Latest news and updates from around baseball Jhoan Duran trade details Phillies receive: RHP Johan Duran Twins receive: RHP Mick Abel, C Eduardo Tait The Phillies acquired star right-handed closer Johan Duran from the Twins for prospects Mick Abel and Eduardo Tait. Jhoan Duran trade grades Phillies: A Going into this week, it was no secret that the Phillies needed to bolster their bullpen in a big way. Their big offseason bullpen move of signing Jordan Romano (one year, $8.5 million) hasn't worked out and star left-handed reliever Jose Alvarado is currently serving an 80-game suspension after testing positive for PEDs. Alvarado is not eligible for the postseason. When the reliever market began to heat up on Wednesday, reports began to surface that the Phillies would likely need to give up their No. 1 prospect (Andrew Painter) in addition to other top prospects in a package for a high-end reliever like Duran. The odds of Dombrowski landing a reliever seemingly started to dwindle. He confirmed to reporters in Chicago after the Phillies' loss to the White Sox that the team wasn't going to trade Painter. Dombrowski then made a big acquisition while not having to give up Painter, who is throwing in Triple-A right now and working his way back from Tommy John surgery. Got to give Dombrowski credit for this. Landing a reliever like Duran is a big get for the Phillies, whose bullpen is ranked No. 24 in MLB with a 4.33 ERA. At 27 years old, Duran is also under team control for an additional two full seasons, which aligns with their current window with Harper, Wheeler and others. One of the top relievers on the market, Duran's fastball is electric and averages 100.2 mph, which will certainly work late in games for manager Rob Thomson. In four seasons with the Twins, Duran has posted a 2.47 ERA and 74 saves. That, too, will play for the Phillies, who haven't had a surefire, lockdown closer since Jonathan Papelbon. The Phillies have their closer of the future. Not a bad way to go into Thursday's trade deadline for Dombrowski and his staff. "We would not have paid this price for a rental," Dombrowki told reporters in Chicago after the Phillies officially announced the trade. Enough said by the future Hall of Famer. Twins: B+ Though the Twins didn't get a prospect of Painter's caliber back for Duran, Minnesota still did rather well in its return for the closer. Headlining the package for the Twins is Abel, a former first-round draft pick by the Phillies in 2015 who has pitched at the major league level this season. Called up on May 18 to fill the spot in the rotation for an injured Aaron Nola, Abel posted a 2-2 record with a 5.04 ERA across six starts and 25 innings pitched. Abel, the Phillies' No. 6-ranked prospect, struggled over his final starts, which ultimately led to him being optioned back to Triple-A. Abel specifically struggled with his command, as he gave up nine runs and five walks in his final two outings vs. the Mets and Padres. Though he will be sent to Triple-A, he is a major league-ready arm for the Twins, should they have a need in the coming days and weeks. Then there is Tait, who is the first Top 100 Prospect traded at the deadline since 2023 and the highest-ranked since 2022. At 18 years old and playing as high as Single-A, Tait is viewed more as a project prospect. He does possess some power and has a grade score of 60 for his arm, according to MLB Pipeline. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jhoan Duran trade grades: Phillies-Twins deadline deal breakdown
