Ex-Phillies pitcher Mick Abel is making Twins fire sale look like a genius move

While Jhoan Duran looks every bit of the history-making, All-Star-caliber closer the Philadelphia Phillies acquired him to be, it's hard not to look over at Minnesota and wonder what might have been.

Mick Abel largely struggled in his long-anticipated MLB debut with the Phillies and Twins last year, pitching to a 6.23 ERA over 39 frames. He entered 2026 penciled in as a back-end starter in a surprisingly deep rotation, flashing similar inconsistencies as he allowed nine earned runs across his first 7 1/3 innings.

But he's found another gear lately. After completely shutting down the Detroit Tigers in his previous start, Abel twirled the gem of his life against the Boston Red Sox on April 14, striking out 10 batters over seven innings while issuing zero free passes.

In fact, it was a banner night in general for former Phillies prospects currently plying their trade in the Twins' organization, as both Eduardo Tait (Duran trade) and Henry Mendez (Harrison Bader trade) smashed a pair of home runs down on the farm.

Behind Abel and a brilliant starting five, the "rebuilding" Twins are now an American League-leading 11-7 on the year. The Phillies, meanwhile, are 8-9 and saddled with a -16 run differential.

Jhoan Duran's dominance softening the blow of Mick Abel and Eduardo Tait's impressive performances with Twins

As Zack Wheeler dominates his rehab assignment and approaches a return to the rotation -- that will, mercifully, spell Taijuan Walker from his starting duties -- now's not the time to feel any serious buyer's remorse over the Duran trade. The closer is more than holding up his end of the bargain, firing off a 1.35 ERA and 0.76 FIP across his seven appearances this year. He's also walked no one while striking out eight hitters, offering cleaner ninth innings than Phillies fans have become accustomed to in recent times.

But if not regret, then perhaps a feeling of loss is what best describes Abel's (and Tait's) work in Minnesota. A 2020 first-round pick, the right-hander became a fixture inside the top 10 of Phillies top prospect lists for the next half-decade. His dominant six-inning MLB debut last May was the process of five long years of slowly climbing through the minor league ranks.

Tait, meanwhile, was a top catching prospect from the moment the Phillies signed him as a teenager in 2023. His emergence onto every top-100 list (and many top-50 lists) was always expected.

Both should be long-term fixtures on the Twins, making it all the more important that the Phillies capitalize on what remains of their pre-free-agency window with Duran.

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