After his use of a homophobic slur directed at a fan Sunday, Jarren Duran was given a two-game suspension by the Red Sox. In truth, they were left with no alternative.

Team policy across the majors is to go to a hearing with any arbitration-eligible player who doesn’t agree before the deadline, but the Sox and Duran are at odds over $500,000.

For a multibillion-dollar sports franchise such as the Red Sox, it’s a drop in the bucket. It’s also how much stood between the Red Sox and Jarren Duran at last week’s deadline to avoid going to arbitration. Duran filed at $4 million, his club ...