Red Sox have unusual Jarren Duran decision due next week; what does it actually mean?

One of the first tasks of the offseason for the Red Sox will be making a call on a slightly unusual piece of business involving Jarren Duran.

Trade talks involving Duran and the team’s other outfielders will likely pick up as the winter goes on as chief baseball officer Craig Breslow tries to find the most functional roster for 2026. First though, the Red Sox have a decision to make — within five days of the conclusion of the World Series — on a team option they have over Duran. Usually, those options either determine whether a player returns the following year or hit free agency. That’s not the case with Duran, though, who remains arbitration-eligible and had a team option added on to the one-year deal he signed to avoid arbitration last January. The Red Sox will retain control over him