(Brace Hemmelgarn via Getty Images)
One of MLB’s top relievers is on the move at the trade deadline.
The Minnesota Twins have dealt closer Jhoan Duran to the Philadelphia Phillies, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Reportedly going back to Minnesota are catching prospect Eduardo Tait and pitching prospect Mick Abel, the Phillies’ No. 4 and No. 6 prospects on the MLB Pipeline rankings.
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Duran is under team control through the 2027 season, making this trade more than just a rental. That explains the considerable return, as Tait and Abel are both considered top-100 prospects in MLB.
The deal comes a day after many people erroneously believed Duran was in the process of getting traded. Eyebrows were raised when he was seen giving out hugs in the Minnesota bullpen during a game — a hallmark of players traded at the deadline — but ESPN’s Passan quickly threw cold water on the speculation.
Duran brings one of the highest-velocity arms in baseball to the Philly bullpen. At 100.2 mph, his fastball is the second-fastest in MLB according to Baseball Savant, behind only that of Athletics closer Mason Miller (101.1 mph). Duran’s four-seamer has topped out at 104.8 mph.
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He did not sound like a man eager to be traded when asked about the possibility earlier Wednesday.
The Phillies entered Wednesday tied for first in the NL East, but their bullpen loomed as a major area for improvement. Despite having thrown the fewest innings of any of MLB’s 30 teams, the Phillies’ bullpen ranked 24th in MLB in ERA, at 4.33. Eight relievers have posted saves for the team, with Jordan Romano — one of the worst-performing relievers in baseball this year — leading the pack with eight.
The addition of Duran removes any question about who will be finishing games in Philadelphia going forward.
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The Twins entered this deadline with plenty of potential trade chips, but the question was how aggressively they would use them. Duran was the big one in the bullpen, but there’s also set-up man Griffin Jax, who is now much less likely to be dealt, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
Starting pitcher Chris Paddack was traded to the Detroit Tigers on Monday, and there are also questions about staff ace Joe Ryan, who could fetch an even bigger haul than Duran.
