When asked about the decision to sit Duran against New York's starter, right-handed Luis Gil, on Tuesday, Cora told MLB.com's Ian Browne, "Masa is swinging the bat well, taking his walks, putting together good at bats. It was his turn to play." As for what Duran needs to do to get back in the lineup, Cora cited a high chase rate, "Chasing pitches, early on he was taking walks and now he’s chasing, we've got to make sure we swing at the right ones. As a group we did a good job yesterday, controlling the strike zone, putting the ball in play. We just got to keep continuing to do that."

According to Baseball Savant, Duran ranks in the 24th percentile in chase rate at 34.5%, but the Red Sox' problems chasing pitches outside extend far beyond Duran. Boston has four players in the bottom 30 percent in chase rate, including Rafaela, who ranks in the bottom 1 percent.

Overplaying their hand

Apr 17, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) beats a throw to Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (20) during the seventh inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Duran's usage thus far is a far cry from the reported price tag that was placed on him during offseason trade discussions, with ESPN's Jeff Passan reporting Breslow was valuing him as the top ten MVP finisher he was in 2024. "The Red Sox are valuing Duran more like the seven-win player of 2024 than his 4-win version in 2025." Passan wrote in December, "At some point, though, the Red Sox will have to move Duran or Wilyer Abreu. Keeping full-time-quality players for less than full-time roles rarely works out well," he continued.

The reality of the situation is that with each passing day, the logjam becomes more and more untenable for Cora to manage, and eventually, frustration will start to mount as Duran, who is still in his arbitration-eligible years, sees his playing time continue to suffer.

Similarly, rival general managers see the situation that Breslow has cornered himself into. If Duran were truly the seven-win player worthy of the astronomical price tag being placed on him, then surely he would be an everyday player on a team in desperate need of a spark at the plate. With each moment of indecisiveness from Breslow, the return only becomes more hampered.

As Passan wrote all the way back in December, at some point, the dam will have to break, and a move must be made to alleviate some of the pressure being put on Cora on a night-in-and-night-out basis.

The Red Sox bats once again went silent as they lost to the Yankees 4-0 on Monday night, falling to 9-14. They'll be back in action on Wednesday night. Max Fried will get the start for New York opposite Ranger Suarez for Boston. First pitch from Fenway set for 6:45 p.m. ET.

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