The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired right-handed reliever Jhoan Durán from the Minnesota Twins in a blockbuster trade, sending top prospects Mick Abel and Eduardo Tait to Minnesota.
Breaking: The Philadelphia Phillies are finalizing a deal to acquire closer Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins for two top prospects, sources tell @JeffPassan.
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The move comes after Phillies left-hander José Alvarado was handed a suspension for performance-enhancing drugs, rendering him ineligible for the postseason. Facing a critical need for a closer, the Phillies landed one of baseball’s top young relief arms. Durán, 26, enters Philadelphia with a 2.01 ERA, 16 saves, and 53 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings this season. Opponents are batting just .219 against him, and he has allowed only one home run in 2025.
Durán is under club control through 2027, making him a potential fixture at the back end of the Phillies’ bullpen for several seasons. His high-velocity arsenal—featuring a splitter, four-seam fastball, curveball and sweeper—ranks above league average in velocity across the board. Notably, he has yet to allow a hit with his sweeper, though it is his least-used pitch.
The cost for Philadelphia was significant. Tait was the Phillies’ No. 4 prospect and the No. 56 overall prospect on MLB’s Top 100 list, hitting .255/.319/.434 in the minors this year. Abel, the Phillies’ No. 6 prospect and No. 92 overall, made his MLB debut this season and could move into Minnesota’s rotation immediately. Abel surrendered just one run over his first two big league starts before encountering some struggles, but he remains highly regarded for his potential as a starting pitcher.
Abel’s path to the big-league rotation in Philadelphia was blocked, with the club’s current starting five locked in and top prospect Andrew Painter—No. 8 overall on MLB’s list—nearing his anticipated big-league debut. The Phillies’ willingness to part with Abel underscores their confidence in Painter as a future rotation leader.
Durán fills a pressing need for Philadelphia as the club pursues a National League East title and a deep postseason run. He is expected to immediately assume closing duties and provide swing-and-miss relief at the back end of the bullpen.
WBN MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/
Photo: Minnesota Twins pitcher Jhoan Duran throws against the Boston Red Sox during the ninth inning of a baseball game Monday, July 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig)
