The Philadelphia Phillies made perhaps the most consequential addition of the day Wednesday when they agreed to add Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran to the roster just ahead of the trade deadline.

The Phillies had a clear need in the bullpen as free agent acquisition Jordan Romano has struggled and Jose Alvarado has been suspended with no eligibility for the playoffs. Duran gives them clear high-leverage option, as he has a 2.01 ERA and 16 saves so far this season. And that could transform the entire relief corps.

“With Duran now slated for the ninth, that has trickle-down impacts for the remaining relievers,” explained the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Lochlahn March. “Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering will be the ‘main setup guys,’ pitching the seventh and eighth.”

It seems pretty clear that Duran will assume a traditional closer role, though his first message to the team after news of the trade surfaced suggested he would be open to whatever role is needed.

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – APRIL 16: Jhoan Duran #59 of the Minnesota Twins looks on against the New York Mets on April 16, 2025 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) MINNEAPOLIS, MN – APRIL 16: Jhoan Duran #59 of the Minnesota Twins looks on against the New York Mets on April 16, 2025 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) Hemmelgarn/Getty

“After the deal was finalized, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and general manager Preston Mattingly spoke with Duran,” per March. “He told them he’d do anything they wanted him to do.”

That’s almost certainly going to mean closing games, as he has done in Minnesota. But that initial message to the Phillies was a strong indicator of his focus.

“That tells me he’s probably got pretty good makeup,” manager Rob Thomson said of Duran’s statement.

The Phillies gave up prospects Mick Abel and Eduardo Tait to acquire their new closer, but Duran has two more years of arbitration eligibility ahead, and he could be a long-term solution for the Phillies.

With their weakest unit hopefully sorted, the Phillies got a significant boost toward a World Series run.

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