Jarren Duran Isn't Guaranteed To Return To Red Sox In 2026
Will the Boston Red Sox clear up their logjam in the outfield this winter?
It already has been discussed at length that the Red Sox are going to be on the lookout for pitching. This past summer, guys like Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu were specifically talked about as trade candidates, but Boston didn't break up its logjam. This ended up being the right call because injuries to guys like Abreu and Roman Anthony quickly had the club spiraling and looking down to the minors for more help. Plus, there was a time in which Ceddanne Rafaela had to go help out in the infield as well for a bit.
Boston made the right call not trading their outfielders away this summer, but the offseason is here for the Red Sox and if they are going to pull off a big deal, it makes the most sense to flip an outfielder. MLB.com's Ian Browne weighed in on this discussion and specifically said that the Red Sox didn't want to trade Duran this past summer, but that could change this winter.
Will the Boston Red Sox trade Jarren Duran?
"Obviously (Joe Ryan) is the guy Breslow pursued the most aggressively last season. While he wouldn’t trade Jarren Duran during the season, I don’t think that would be as much of an issue in the winter. If Duran gets dealt, Breslow would have plenty of time to reshape the roster. Also, with the glut in the outfield, Roman Anthony would move seamlessly into Duran’s spot in left. Duran alone wouldn’t be enough to get that deal done. A top prospect or prospects would have to be included for a pitcher of Ryan’s caliber. Given that he would be under club control for two more seasons, it’s fair for the Twins to expect a hefty price. It sure will be interesting to see if Breslow or another team meets it."
Duran was one of the most talked-about players in Boston ahead of the trade deadline. He's under team control for a few years and is a dynamic, all-around player. The fact that an insider line Browne is talking about the possibility is interesting, at the very least. There's a real argument that the Red Sox would be better suited trading Abreu over Duran, but that's one person's opinion.
NHL Must Throw the Book at Capitals’ Goon Tom Wilson
The National Hockey League needs to step in and protect its players from unabashed cheap-shot artists like Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson.
On Sunday, Wilson lined up an easy target in Vancouver Canucks center Filip Chytil. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Wilson delivered a heavy, blindside hit on Chytil near the end of the first period.
With the Capitals trailing 3-0, Wilson decided to take out his frustration on an unsuspecting and helpless Chytil, who had just released the puck on a neutral-zone rush.
Chytil did not return to the game. The 26-year-old has a history of concussions and needed to be helped off the ice.
After review, no penalty was called on the play, and it was announced as “a clean hit.”
Back on Mar. 15, Chytil suffered his fifth career concussion when he was on the receiving end of a brutal hit from behind from Chicago Blackhawks center Jason Dickinson. No supplemental discipline was issued to Dickinson from the NHL Department of Player Safety.
Dickinson skated away scot-free. Chytil would miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season. Does that seem fair in any kind of way?
It’s Time to Get Serious About Player Safety
Now, it’s possible that Chytil may have suffered a sixth career concussion due to the whiplash nature of Wilson’s hit. At some point, Chytil will need to end his career prematurely because the NHL refuses to adequately protect the health and safety of its players.
Too Often, Greats Have Hung up Their Skates Prematurely
Calling it the Department of Player Safety is a joke. Who are they keeping safe here? It seems like they’re doing a lot more to ensure that the goons are safe from discipline rather than actually protecting the guys who play it clean.
Too often, we’ve seen great players have their careers shortened by repeated concussions.
Former No. 1 overall pick Rick Nash was one of the league’s brightest stars during a career spent mostly with the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers.
Nash suffered at least three known concussions – and probably sustained several other traumatic brain injuries that went undiagnosed throughout his 15 years in the NHL.
While a member of the Boston Bruins, Nash suffered the final concussion of his career when he was hit high by Tampa Bay Lightning center Cedric Paquette on Mar. 17, 2018.
Earlier that season, Paquette served a one-game suspension for boarding then-Bruin Torey Krug. That slap on the wrist punishment did nothing to deter Paquette from ending Nash’s career.
Nash initially waited for his concussion symptoms to fade before he ultimately retired from the league prematurely at age 34.
Paul Kariya, Eric Lindros and Pat LaFontaine are among Hockey Hall of Famers to have their careers shortened by repeated concussions and post-concussion syndrome.
Kariya was asked by TSN’s Michael Farber in 2017 about the possibility of the league hiring someone like him to work for NHL Player Safety.
“That’s a question for the league,” Kariya responded.
In the same interview, Kariya pointed to the need for the league to take head shots more seriously.
“I think today we’re in a way better spot (than) when I retired,” he said. “Things are moving in the right direction, but still those targeted head shots are still in the game. And for me, there’s no reason to have that in the game.”
Currently, the NHL Department of Player Safety is run by former enforcer George Parros. The 45-year-old recorded just 36 points across 474 career regular season games, while being whistled for 1,092 penalty minutes.
Having Parros as the head of NHL Player Safety feels a bit like inmates running the asylum. Maybe there would be actual change if someone whose career was cut short by head shots like Kariya, Nash or Marc Savard was in charge.
It's long overdue for the NHL to finally get serious about concussions and player safety.
