There will be no arbitration hearing after all.

On Friday, the Red Sox and outfielder Jarren Duran agreed to a one-year contract for 2025 with a club option for 2026.

The salary is a happy medium between Duran’s $4 million filing and the Red Sox’s $3.5 million (though MLB Trade Rumors projected the outfielder would get $4.9 million). The 2024 All-Star Game MVP will make a base salary of $3.75 million, but can earn up to $150,000 more in performance bonuses: he’ll get $50,000 apiece for reaching 450, 500 and 550 plate appearances.

The 2026 option comes with an $8 million base salary, but the Red Sox leadoff man can earn significantly more if he repeats or even exceeds his ’24 performance, which included finishing eighth in American League MVP voting and second-team All-MLB honors. The option salary rises to $9 million if he finishes in the top 20 in MVP voting, $10 million if he’s top 10, $11 million for top five, and $12 million if he wins the award. If he finishes outside of the top 20 but is named second-team again, the option increases by $500,000.

Thus, the Red Sox extend their streak of no hearings to five years. It’s no secret that arbitration is an uncomfortable last resort, to be avoided at all costs; tactics utilized at the hearings can cause irrevocable damage to the relationship between player and team. At Fenway Fest last weekend, manager Alex Cora and president/CEO Sam Kennedy made their feelings on arbitration clear.

“It’s kind of like a bad process, to be honest with you, and it doesn’t make sense,” said Cora.

“I don’t like arbitration,” Kennedy concurred. “It’s a necessary evil, I guess.”

There will be no necessary evil this year. The Red Sox officially have Duran, whom Kennedy described as “one of the most elite players in the game” set for the season ahead and potentially the year after.

However, this was only Duran’s first of four years of arbitration eligibility. Should the Red Sox opt for the $100,000 buyout instead of the club option, they will have to go through the traditional process again next offseason.