Even with the Steve Cohen-dubbed "Fab Four" looming nightly at the top of the Mets’ lineup, damage on their minds, the club’s offense can sometimes underwhelm.
The Mets rank only a smidge above MLB average in runs per game, and don’t get us started about hitting with runners in scoring position, a season-long bugaboo that has ruined multiple games.
That’s why adding a dynamic offensive player at the trade deadline could be an impact move for David Stearnswith reverberations all the way into October.
And it’s why the Mets should at least consider exploring a deal for Jarren Duran of the Red Sox, despite what likely would be enormous prospect cost given that he has three-plus seasons of club control remaining.
Who knows if Boston would actually trade an outfielder whose breakout 2024 season featured 83 extra-base hits and an eighth-place finish in the AL MVP voting?
The Sox were supposed to fade after trading Rafael Devers earlier this season, but actually hold a Wild Card spot entering play Friday. They do have a logjam of young, lefty-hitting outfielders, though.
Whether a potential deal is fanciful or not, Duran’s name has been rampant in the public trade speculation that’s part of the run-up to the deadline.
Here’s a look at the pros and cons of the Mets dealing for Duran, the MVP of last year’s MLB All-Star Game…
PROS
Duran, who turns 29 in September, led the majors in doubles (48) and triples (14) last season while also smacking 21 homers and stealing 34 bases in 41 tries. That points to quite an appealing skill set, no? It’s easy to imagine Duran whirling around the bases at Citi Field after Juan Sotosmacks a liner into the gap.
His 8.7 WAR (according to Baseball Reference) was fifth-best in the majors in 2024, behind only Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., Shohei Ohtani, and Gunnar Henderson. Heady company.
Duran also posts nearly every day. He appeared in 160 games last year and in 95 of 96 Red Sox tilts so far this season as a mainstay on one of five MLB teams averaging at least five runs per game. Taking the field daily seems to be something Mets fans appreciate about both Pete Alonsoand Francisco Lindor, so they’d presumably like it from Duran, too.
Here’s an additional slab of red meat to those fed up with the Mets' woes with runners in scoring position: Duran is batting .298 in such situations this season, tops among Boston regulars. Alonso (.337) is the only Met with a better mark, and no one else is even close.
New York, in case you forgot, is near the bottom of the majors when it comes to batting average with runners in scoring position this season. They went 2-for-19 (.105) with RISP when they were swept in a doubleheader by Baltimore on Thursday.
They could also use an offensive boost from center field, perhaps the only position on the diamond where they can pursue an upgrade, unless they pick the unlikely route of moving on from all their young third basemen. Mets center fielders entered play on Friday with just four homers (25th in MLB) and a .611 OPS (24th).
CONS
Even with a player of Duran’s talent, there are some pitfalls here. Is he really the 2024 Duran or is his 2025 – not as eye-popping so far – closer to the real Jarren? He’s batting .257 (down 28 points) with a .745 OPS (down 89 points). He leads the majors in triples with 10 and also has eight homers.
There’s also the question of his defensive position. Last year, Duran appeared in 105 games in center and 83 in left; this year, he’s logged 91 games in left and six in center, where the Red Sox seem committed instead to Ceddanne Rafaela, an elite defensive player. Is a player who has already been moved by another team good enough with the glove to play center field for the Mets? Hmmm.
Then there’s the talent cost. Since Duran is arbitration-eligible in 2026 and won’t be a free agent until after the 2028 season, this is no rental, where fringy prospects might lure a team looking to move on from their player. The Red Sox will command a haul if they deal Duran, and there figures to be plenty of market competition from teams such as the Padres, which could make the price soar.
That’s not ideal for a team that has said over and over how much it wants to supercharge its farm system.
VERDICT
Duran would obviously lengthen the Mets' lineup, even if he’s closer to this season than last as a player. He’s an enticing, vibrant player with game-breaking tools.
But this feels like a pass for the current Mets. It’s more of a long-term, shakeup move than simply adding deadline oomph. Stearns has been adamant about improving the team defense and it’s fair to wonder whether Duran accomplishes that if he’s their center fielder. And Soto’s not going anywhere in right field; neither is Brandon Nimmo in left.
And the Red Sox, rightfully so, could use the top end of the Mets’ prospect rankings like a want list, checking off names such as Jett Williams, Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat, and Nolan McLean in talks. Even if you’re no prospect hugger, some combo from those ranks is a steep cost.
If the Mets decide they need to address center field, looking elsewhere for a less-pricey player (Baltimore’s Cedric Mullins, a free-agent-to-be?) might be the move.
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