Subscribe
Follow Us
As the 2025 MLB season grinds into its summer months, the Minnesota Twins find themselves at a crossroads. Despite preseason optimism and a roster brimming with both established talent and promising youth, the team has struggled to find consistency. With the American League Central tightening and the Wild Card race growing more competitive by the week, the front office faces a pivotal decision: double down on the current core or pivot toward a retooling that could set the franchise up for a longer window of contention. If the latter path is chosen, there is one player who stands out above the rest as the must-move asset before the July 31 trade deadline, flamethrowing reliever Jhoan Duran.
The Case for Trading Jhoan Duran
Jhoan Duran, the 27-year-old right-hander, has been a revelation since breaking into the majors, quickly establishing himself as one of the league’s premier late-inning arms. Armed with a fastball that still averages around 100 mph and a devastating “splinker,” Duran has the kind of electric stuff that playoff-bound teams covet for October. Through the early part of 2025, he’s posted a sparkling 1.07 ERA and 9 saves this season, striking out 30 and walking 11 in 25.1 innings while allowing just three runs. Even as his fastball velocity has dipped slightly, Duran has adjusted by mixing in more offspeed pitches, showing an ability to reinvent himself and remain effective at the highest level.
But for the Twins, Duran’s value is about more than just his on-field performance. He is under team control through 2027, making a modest $4.125 million this season, but his salary is set to rise sharply through arbitration in the coming years. For a mid-market club operating under tight payroll constraints, the prospect of paying a reliever $10 million or more by 2026 is daunting, especially when the rest of the roster has significant holes and the bullpen is already a position of strength. Trading Duran now, while he’s healthy and dominant, could net the Twins a significant return, particularly given the scarcity of elite relievers available with multiple years of control.
Nearly every contender will be searching for bullpen reinforcements at the deadline, and Duran’s combination of performance, pedigree, and contract status makes him arguably the most attractive relief arm on the market. His presence could command a bidding war, especially from teams with deep farm systems and a clear need for a late-inning weapon. While relievers rarely fetch superstar prospects in return, Duran’s unique profile, dominant stuff, playoff experience, and years of control should allow the Twins to target both near-ready talent and high-upside prospects.
The Trade Proposal
Given the Dodgers’ perennial contention, deep farm system, and recent bullpen struggles, they stand out as an ideal trade partner. Los Angeles has both the motivation and the prospect capital to make a deal happen, and the Twins can address multiple organizational needs in one move.
Proposed Trade
Minnesota Twins receive:
Article Continues Below
-
OF Josue De Paula (Dodgers’ No. 3 prospect)
-
RHP Nick Frasso (Dodgers’ No. 7 prospect)
-
RHP Landon Knack
Los Angeles Dodgers receive:
- Jhoan Duran
Josue De Paula is a 19-year-old outfielder with a patient approach and burgeoning power, widely considered a future everyday regular with All-Star upside. He would immediately become one of the Twins’ top prospects, providing a long-term solution in the outfield, especially with Byron Buxton’s health always in question and the corner spots unsettled. Nick Frasso, a hard-throwing righty with a devastating fastball-slider combo, projects as a high-leverage reliever or back-end starter. Landon Knack, meanwhile, is MLB-ready and can slot into the Twins’ rotation or bullpen immediately, providing valuable innings and flexibility.
For the Dodgers, Duran would give them a dominant weapon to pair with Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol, solidifying the back end of their bullpen for both the stretch run and multiple playoff runs to come. The cost is significant, but the Dodgers’ depth allows them to make such a move without mortgaging their future.
Trading Duran would be a tough pill to swallow for Twins fans, especially given his popularity and the excitement he brings every time he takes the mound. But the reality is that elite relievers are luxury items for teams not firmly in the playoff hunt, and Minnesota’s roster is at a point where adding high-upside, controllable talent is more valuable than holding onto a reliever whose price tag is about to soar.
With top prospects like Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez already in the system, adding someone like De Paula would give the Twins one of the most dynamic young outfields in baseball within a couple of years. Frasso and Knack would deepen the pitching pipeline, ensuring the Twins have the arms to compete as their next core matures.
