Boston's rise from under .500 to the thick of contention couldn't have come at a better time for the club's 2025 hopes.

Duran was the heart and soul of the Red Sox in 2024, and he's still a key contributor in 2025. He's got an All-Star appearance under his belt, he's still doing power-speed things few others around the game can match, and he's under team control for 3 1/2 more seasons.

The Red Sox have well-defined needs as the trade deadline approaches: A first baseman and a starting pitcher. Preferably it’s a righthanded hitting first baseman and a starting pitcher who could follow Garrett Crochet in the rotation.