The NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies came out of this season's trade deadline looking like major winners thanks to their blockbuster acquisition of Jhoan Duran.
The star closer has successfully converted his first five save opportunities with the team and will be a lethal weapon against the best the National League has to offer in the playoffs. He's arguably the most valuable reliever in baseball, but the Phillies nearly missed out on the flamethrowing righty according to a recent report.
Jhoan Duran nearly got dealt to the Seattle Mariners at the trade deadline
Like the Phillies, the Seattle Mariners are in a tight division race of their own. The Mariners wanted to upgrade their bullpen at the deadline in an effort to win the AL East for the first time since 2001 in a reliever-heavy trade market. They had such high interest in Duran that a trade was almost reached until the Phillies improved their final offer, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
If the difference maker really was including top catching prospect Eduardo Tait in the deal, then the Phillies absolutely made the right decision. Duran has transformed the Phillies bullpen, and his stats in Philadelphia are near-perfect, with just two baserunners allowed in his 4 2/3 innings of work. He has struck out four batters, all to end games, including this filthy 102-mph fastball to retire James Wood in the Phillies 11-9 victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday.
Jhoan Duran 102mph ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/cdwVdHDeid
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 17, 2025
Duran's importance to the team cannot be understated, which is why it was such a major relief when he proved to be alright after getting carted off the field in Washington when a line drive hit his foot. Having Duran become sidelined for any period of time would be a nightmare scenario for the Phillies and their playoff chances, especially after losing Zack Wheeler for an uncertain amount of time with a scary blood clot near his throwing shoulder.
But thankfully, Duran's still here and he's all theirs. Duran is the biggest playoff weapon the Phillies have had in years, and they can show the Mariners firsthand what they missed as they open a home series against Seattle on Monday.