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The Philadelphia Phillies have World Series aspirations in 2025. If they want to achieve that goal, everyone around baseball knew that they were in need of some pitching help, particularly in the bullpen. On the eve of the MLB trade deadline, they took one step closer to making a championship run a reality. The Phillies traded for a star closer, Jhoan Duran, from the Minnesota Twins in a blockbuster move.
This was exactly the type of splash that Phillies fans were hoping for. It is also the type of move that tends to make a difference come October.
In return, the Twins will receive prospects Eduardo Tait and Mick Abel. They were the fourth and sixth-ranked prospects in the Phillies' farm system.
So, the question begs: who won this trade? Did the Phillies land a sure-fire closer? Did Minnesota set itself up well for the long term?
Grading Jhoan Duran trade
The Phillies land a legit closer
The Philadelphia Phillies have been among the MLB's best teams for the last handful of years. Yet, they have consistently failed to live up to expectations when the postseason rolled around. One of the glaring reasons was their bullpen, which is arguably the most important part of any team come October.
With the Duran deal, they land one of the best closers in baseball this season. Duran has converted 16 of 18 save chances for the Twins, posting a 2.01 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. Many believed he was deserving of an American League All-Star nod this season, but it was not to be. Nevertheless, the flame-throwing righty is having a solid year.
Meanwhile, the Phillies' bullpen was in desperate need of an upgrade. Jordan Romano leads the team in saves with eight, but he did not last long in the role. Jose Alvarado has seven, but he has never really been effective as a ninth-inning stopper.
Matt Strahm has done a decent job since taking over as closer. But he is viewed more as a setup man and can now move back to that.
But this move may very well be a rental. Duran signed a one-year, $4.125 million contract with the Twins last offseason, per Spotrac. But the cheesesteak-eating fans will not care if he helps bring a World Series title to Philadelphia.
Grade: B+
Twins acquire two legit prospects for Duran
As much as the Phillies needed relief help, the Twins needed to reboot. They took a big step in the right direction on Wednesday, adding Bait and Abel.
Bait is a hard-hitting catcher who is still only 18 years old. He was the fourth-highest-ranked prospect in Philly, so a lot of people like his potential. Minnesota has not had a catcher they can rely on consistently behind the dish and at the plate since Joe Mauer. This was a good get for the future.
But Abel, despite being a slightly lower-ranked prospect, may prove to be the bigger piece. He is currently pitching in Triple-A but has already seen some big league action. He made his MLB debut earlier this year, tossing six shutout innings with nine strikeouts against the Pittsburgh Pirates back in May.
In his last two starts, Abel got roughed up by the New York Mets, who pulled off a trade themself, and the San Diego Padres. But the talent is undeniable.
Considering Jhoan Duran was highly unlikely to return to Minnesota after this season, landing two talented prospects is nothing to scoff at. Plus, if you look deeper at Duran's season, his strikeout numbers are down, and his K/BB ratio is a career-worst.
Grade: A-
