After a brutal 2024 season, where the Boston Red Sox bullpen blew 31 saves—second only to the struggling Chicago White Sox—the team’s front office is focused on making major upgrades to the relief corps. Chief of baseball operations Craig Breslow is looking to revamp the bullpen with power arms capable of generating swings and misses. So far this offseason, the Sox have already signed veteran Aroldis Chapman, who, even at 36, can still bring the heat, touching 105 mph last season. Now, the Red Sox might be eyeing another high-velocity bullpen arm—Jhoan Duran of the Minnesota Twins.
This proposal, first discussed on the WEEI-affiliated Red Sox podcast “Play Tessie,” involves sending homer-prone righty starter Kutter Crawford to Minnesota for Duran, along with catcher Christian Vázquez. The Twins, who have consistently ranked among the lowest in payroll, would benefit from this deal financially. The $10 million still owed to Vázquez, who was a key piece of the Red Sox’s 2018 World Series win, could be shed in the trade, while avoiding the hefty arbitration awards likely coming Duran’s way in 2025 and 2026.
From the Red Sox’s perspective, adding Duran would be a game-changer for a bullpen that desperately needs power arms. The 28-year-old right-hander has quickly made a name for himself as one of the most dominant relief pitchers in baseball, routinely touching triple digits with his fastball and generating a ton of strikeouts. Duran could bring the kind of late-inning dominance that the Sox have been lacking, providing an added weapon as they aim for a more competitive 2025 season.
For the Twins, the trade would be financially motivated. Duran is projected for a significant pay increase in arbitration, and with the Twins’ modest budget, moving him along with the final year of Vázquez’s contract could help them keep their payroll manageable while giving them some flexibility in filling other roster spots. Crawford, who gave up an MLB-worst 34 home runs in 2024, would provide them with a cost-controlled option in their rotation, while also benefitting from a change of scenery after struggling in Boston.
The addition of Duran would signal the Red Sox’s commitment to improving their bullpen and their overall pitching depth. With Chapman already in the fold and Duran potentially coming in, the Sox would have two high-velocity arms in their bullpen capable of changing the game in the late innings. If this trade goes through, it would solidify Boston’s plans to overhaul their relief corps and bolster their pitching staff, giving them a much-needed boost heading into the 2025 season.
