It took the Philadelphia Phillies front office until Wednesday night to make their first move of the MLB trade deadline season, and boy oh boy they didn't disappoint! According to reports, the Phillies swung a massive trade for Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran. The news was first broken by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
BREAKING: Phillies close to acquiring Jhoan Duran from Twins, sources tell @TheAthletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 30, 2025
Phillies swing massive trade deadline deal for Twins closer Jhoan Duran
After the Phillies were reportedly poking around multiple teams looking for elite bullpen help, and it sounded like they were out on Duran, they landed the season-changing trade. The 27-year-old Duran has two more years of club control through arbitration.
The Phillies are sending two top-10 prospects back in the deal, with catcher Eduardo Tait (Phillies No. 4, MLB No. 56) and right-hander Mick Abel (Phillies No. 6, MLB No. 92). Acquiring a bullpen arm of Duran's caliber without sacrificing Andrew Painter (Phillies No. 1, MLB No. 8), Aidan Miller (Phillies No. 2, MLB No. 18) or Justin Crawford (Phillies No. 3, MLB No. 44) is a giant win for Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and general manager Preston Mattingly.
In Jhoan Duran, the Phillies get a dominant closer with some of the best stuff in baseball. Mick Abel is a big league-ready starter with first-round pedigree. And Eduardo Tait is a catcher in Class A with massive power and a big arm. First to say deal was close: @Ken_Rosenthal.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2025
Duran, in his fourth MLB season, comes to the Phillies with a 2.01 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 53 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings. He has 16 saves in 18 chances this year. He has a 2.47 career ERA, with 74 saves in 83 opportunities with the Twins.
Duran features an elite 100.2 mph four-seam fastball and a 97.5 mph splitter, with a curveball and a sweeper that both average 87.2 mph. His strikeout rate is slightly lower this year (25.7 percent) compared to last season (28.9 percent), but he should immediately take on the closer role in manager Rob Thomson's bullpen.
Imagine Jhoan Duran’s entrance in Red October.
— On Pattison (@OnPattison) July 30, 2025
Chills. pic.twitter.com/OTGvx3pgfD
In Abel, the Twins get an MLB-ready starting pitcher. Despite struggling at the end of his six-start stint with the Phillies this season, the former first-round pick flashed the upside in his spectacular debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Abel carries a 2.31 ERA in 13 Triple-A starts this season and a 5.04 ERA in the big leagues.
Tait is still just 18, playing this year in Single- and High-A. His bat should carry him through the minors, although there are some questions about his ability to stick at the catcher position long-term.