Subscribe
Follow Us
The Philadelphia Phillies have a talented but older roster. Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Nick Castellanos are all offensive stars who are among the best players in baseball, but they are all on the wrong side of age 30.
The same can be said about pitchers Aaron Nola and Zach Wheeler. The point is that the Phillies' title window won't last for much longer, and this is a team built to win a World Series.
If they are to accomplish that championship goal, they will need to add at the trade deadline. The bullpen is their biggest weakness that needs to be addressed. Jhoan Duran is arguably the best relief pitcher available on the trade market, but what would a deal with the Minnesota Twins look like?
Phillies' potential trade proposal for Jhoan Duran
Phillies receive: Jhoan Duran
Twins receive: Aidan Miller (Phillies No. 2), Aaron Escobar (Phillies No. 5), Michael Mercado (Phillies No. 25)
There isn't really an opening in the Phillies' lineup. In addition to the aforementioned offensive stars, Alec Bohm is one of the best third basemen in the league, and Max Kepler and Brandon Marsh are capable outfielders. The rotation has plenty of talent, too.
Wheeler will once again be in the Cy Young conversation, and Ranger Suarez and Christopher Sanchez both have sub-3.00 ERAs. The team has struggled once the starter leaves the game and a bullpen arm takes over, though. The closer position, in particular, has been a weak spot.
Jose Alvarado is currently out under suspension, and the team will be relying on the recently signed, 40-year-old David Robertson to eat up late-game innings soon. Robertson is familiar with the Phillies, as this is his third stint with the team, but it is far from a guarantee that he will be the difference-maker that the team is looking for.
Jhoan Duran can certainly be the missing piece, though. Duran has a 2.01 ERA as the Twins' closer, and reports suggest that the Twins may be trade deadline sellers. In fact, they already traded fellow pitchers Chris Paddack and Randy Dobnak. Nobody could use Duran's services more than Philadelphia, especially because Alvarado will be ineligible for the postseason upon his return.
Trades involving relief pitchers are starting to heat up around the league, and there will certainly be a market for Duran, so the Phillies may have to blow the Twins away with a trade package, especially because Duran is under team control for two more years.
Would the Twins trade Jhoan Duran?
The Twins have teetered around .500 all season long, so it was never clear if they'd be trade deadline buyers or sellers. They appear to be selling, though, after their recent trade with the Detroit Tigers. Duran could likely net a bigger trade return than anybody else on the roster, outside of maybe Carlos Correa or Byron Buxton, who both have no-trade clauses in their contracts.
This trade would land the Twins two of the Phillies very' best prospects: Aidan Miller and Aaron Escobar. Both Philadelphia prospects are among the six total minor leaguers in the system who rank in the Top 100 of MLB's prospect list.
With one of the best farm systems in baseball, the Phillies have youngsters to spare, and their desperation may be enough to give up this hefty of a trade package to the Twins.
Miller is in AA, while Escobar is down in A+, so both players are a ways away from contributing at the major-league level, but they have the potential to become stars.
Miller is a shortstop who the Phillies picked in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft, and Escobar was an international signee the year prior who plays second base. The duo could be Minnesota's long-term middle infield.
