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The Philadelphia Phillies swung big and landed Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran in a strong move before the MLB trade deadline, according to multiple reports.
Philadelphia was searching for a high-leverage reliever, and with the Twins in full sell mode, they pounced for the veteran Duran, who has 16 saves for the Twins in 49 games this year.
The Phillies are reportedly sending two of their top prospects, right-hander Mick Abel and catcher Eduardo Tait, to the Twins as the crux of the trade, per USA Today.
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Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) reacts after the final out of the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)
Duran was one of the biggest trade targets this summer given the Twins’ stance and how valuable he is for a franchise trying to make a World Series push.
The Phillies needed some bullpen help, and Dave Dombrowski unloaded coveted prospects to make sure the team had one of the best closers in the game on their side for the rest of the year.
TWINS CLOSER FUELS TRADE RUMORS AFTER HUGGING BULLPEN CATCHER MID-GAME
Duran, featuring a triple-digit fastball and one of the best splitters in all of baseball, has pitched to a 2.47 ERA over his career, which includes 74 saves over 83 chances in the past four seasons combined.
Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) pitches in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. (Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images)
Duran’s production is worthy of some big trade pieces, but so is the fact that he is under team control until the 2028 season. So, this deal helps now and for the next two Phillies campaigns.
Philadelphia has been searching for that trip back to the World Series, which last came in 2022 when they lost to the Houston Astros in six games.
They made it to the NLCS in 2023, but lost Game 7 to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Then, in 2024, the Phillies couldn’t handle the New York Mets, losing in four games in the division series.
Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) throws to the Boston Red Sox in the ninth inning at Target Field. (Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images)
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The Phillies have the bats and starting pitching to make a run, and their bullpen just got a huge upgrade to help face a gauntlet of National League teams come October.
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