Red Sox and Jarren Duran avoid arbitration, agree to 2025 deal, includes 2026 club option
The Red Sox and All-Star outfielder Jarren Duran have agreed to terms on a one-year, $3.75 million deal for 2025, avoiding arbitration, according to FanSided's Robert Murray. He also gets an $8 million team option for 2026 that can max out at $12 million based on performance escalators that depend on how he finishes in next year’s MVP race.
Duran’s new deal is loaded with various incentives that could increase his salary for 2025, including $50,000 in performance bonuses set at three different plate appearance benchmarks, 450, 500, and 550, allowing him to max out at $150,000. His deal also includes a $100,000 buyout.
Boston initially offered Duran $3.5 million last week, but both sides failed to agree to terms. He asked for $4 million, leaving both sides $500,000 apart.
The 2026 option can max out at $12 million based on various benchmarks that include winning the MVP award. His option will be worth $9 million for a top 20 MVP finish, $10 million for a top 10, and $11 million for a top 5 finish. If he’s not in the top 20 MVP voting but is named second-team All-MLB, the option will grow to $8.5 million. If Duran hits every incentive in his deal, he could max out at $15.9 million over the next two seasons.
The two sides have not discussed a contract extension, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, and remain under team control through 2028. If the Sox decline Duran’s $8 million option, he remains under control, and both sides would negotiate in the arbitration process.
The Red Sox employ a “file-and-trial” strategy in which they tell players if there’s no agreement before the exchange deadline, negotiations are over and they’ll head to a hearing. Despite that, both sides worked out a salary for the 2025 season. If Duran had gone through arbitration, he would have been the third player since Eduardo Rodriguez in 2019 and Mookie Betts in 2018 to head to a hearing.
MLBTradeRumors projected Duran to land $4.9 million in his first year of arbitration and will fall short of that figure. With his new $4 million salary for next season, Duran will make substantially more than last season, where he earned $760,000.
Boston will not go to arbitration with any of their players this year after agreeing to terms with lefty Garrett Crochet ($3.8 million) and righties Tanner Houck ($3.95 million) and Kutter Crawford ($2.75 million).
