Red Sox Predicted to Replace Jarren Duran With Texas A&M Outfielder Jace LaViolette originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
As the Boston Red Sox have struggled post-Rafael Devers deal, trade talks revolving around some of their best players have begun to heat up. Chief among them is outfielder Jarren Duran, arguably the team’s top hitter on its 26-man roster.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan, specifically, believe Duran is one of the most valuable pieces on the trade market. Despite them placing Duran’s likelihood of being dealt at 25%, only third baseman (and fellow Red Sox teammate) Alex Bregman is rated higher when factoring productivity and club control.
Should Duran be dealt, the Red Sox would still have many options in their outfield, including Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Rob Refsnyder. Masataka Yoshida could also factor into the Red Sox’s outfield rotation once he fully recovers from injury.
That still may not stop the Red Sox from using the 2025 MLB Draft as a means to replenish their supply of outfielders. CBS Sports’ Mike Axias predicts the club will use their first-round pick (No. 16 overall) to select Texas A&M outfielder Jace LaViolette.
Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran (16) reacts after striking out against the Los Angeles Angels during the eighth inning at Fenway Park.Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
“LaViolette was the favorite to go No. 1 overall entering 2025, though a down spring likely bumped him into the middle of the first round,” Axisa wrote.
“The Red Sox have not used a first-round pick on a pitcher since Tanner Houck in 2017 and getting LaViolette here would have been unthinkable a few weeks ago. He fits Boston’s archetype as a big-time power threat, though his approach is not as refined as some of their more recent first rounders (Braden Montgomery, Kyle Teel, etc.).”
Over the past three seasons, LaViolette emerged as one of the top prospects in the collegiate ranks. Despite the Aggies having a disappointing 2025 season, during which they began as the preseason No. 1 squad in the nation but failed to make the NCAA Tournament, LaViolette continued to be a productive hitter, slashing .258/.427/.576 with 18 home runs and 61 RBIs across 56 starts.
His strongest individual year came in 2024, when he helped Texas A&M to a runner-up finish in the College World Series and finished the campaign with 68 starts, a .305 batting average, 29 home runs, 78 RBIs, and 1.175 OPS. That season, he was named a First-Team All-American by Baseball America, D1Baseball, and the NCBWA, in addition to landing a spot on both the All-SEC First Team and All-SEC Defensive Team.
LaViolette picked up numerous accolades outside of that year, too, as he landed on the SEC All-Freshman Team in 2023 and the All-SEC Second Team in 2025. He was also invited to attend USA Baseball’s College National Team Training Camp in 2024.
McDaniel considers Laviolette to be the No. 12 prospect in this year’s draft. The Athletic’s Keith Law and MLB.com, however, placed him further down (at No. 17 and No. 20, respectively) in their rankings.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
