"Boston has four legitimate impact talents in the outfield - Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Jarren Duran - but only three starting spots available. Barring injuries, a skilled part of that quartet will likely be relegated to reps at DH in 2026 - and that's without factoring in other players like Masataka Yoshida or Triston Casas who could be fighting for those same at-bats."
""I haven't heard anything like that," Duran said of moving to DH. "So I don't know. But whatever they need me to do, I'm gonna do. I haven't heard any talks like that, but wherever AC [Alex Cora] and the front office needs me, I'm gonna go do my best job. ... I'd be the fastest DH in the league, so that's a start.""
""He really took me under his wing and kind of taught me how to come off the bench," Duran said. "And I think that's a really good approach I can take to DH'ing - try and stay busy. Look at what pitchers are throwing. Look at the sequencing and stuff like that. So I kind of owe some stuff to him for that.""
Boston's outfield contains four legitimate impact talents—Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Jarren Duran—yet only three starting outfield positions exist. Without injuries, one of the quartet will likely spend time as designated hitter in 2026, with additional competition from Masataka Yoshida and Triston Casas. Duran, 29 and the oldest of the group, may be the odd man out despite a plus-11 defensive runs saved in 2025 and a 4.7 WAR with 16 home runs and 84 RBI. Duran has heard no conversations about moving to DH, expresses willingness to play wherever needed, and credits Rob Refsnyder for bench-preparation lessons applicable to a DH role.
Read at Boston.com
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