The Minnesota Twins have made a major move ahead of the trade deadline, which is just 24 hours away.
According to Jeff Passan, the Philadelphia Phillies are finalizing a deal to acquire Twins reliever Jhoan Durán, who is thought to be the top name in the reliever market. Passan also reports that Philadelphia is sending away Eduardo Tait and Mick Abel in the deal.
A huge move for the Phillies, who are in a dog fight with the New York Mets in the National League East. The Twins have begun to sell, and there’s no telling who else they will move before 6 p.m. tomorrow.
Twins Get a Load of Prospects
The Minnesota Twins got a massive haul in return for Durán, which was expected. Tait is the fourth-ranked prospect in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, and Abel is their sixth-ranked prospect. Abel has seen some big-league time this year, throwing 25.0 innings with a 5.04 ERA and 21 strikeouts. The Twins could use him the rest of the season at the major league level, considering they are almost certainly out of playoff contention now. As for Tait, he’s a catching prospect who is at the high-A level, but is hitting very well.
Here is the scouting report on Abel as he gears up for his new organization:
“Taken in the middle of the first round of the shortened 2020 Draft, Abel brought size, outstanding stuff and what seemed to be a good feel for pitching for a high schooler to the Phillies organization. Despite struggling more with his command than anticipated, he climbed the organizational ladder and reached Triple-A in 2023, pitching in the Futures Game that summer. His control regressed even more with a return to Triple-A in 2024, though the Phillies still added him to the 40-man roster during the offseason.”
No doubt a huge splash for the Phillies’ bullpen that desperately needs it. Their bullpen did not have an arm with more than eight saves before the deal, and it was Jordan Romano who had a 6.81 ERA. The addition of Durán gives Philly a very feared pitching staff.
There were at least 10 teams reportedly in on Durán, but it is the Phillies who ended up snagging him. The 27-year-old reliever has a 2.01 ERA this season in 49.1 innings and 53 strikeouts. His 16 saves immediately make him the Phillies’ closer. Philadelphia made a less notable move about a week ago by acquiring David Robertson, which proves they are all-in this season and shooting for the Fall Classic in late October. They have a dominant starting rotation, a feared lineup, and now a shutdown closer.
Durán Gives Massive Boost to Philly
Durán could end up being the best overall player traded this deadline. He is under team control for a few more seasons and has an arbitration year after this season, where his $4.8 million salary is sure to increase. For the Minnesota Twins, they are clearly pivoting to fire sale mode, and more players are likely to be on the move either later today or tomorrow.
It will be interesting to see if this is the only deal the Philadelphia Phillies make over the next 24 hours, because they are also linked to other names and have other needs, like a center fielder. They are not afraid to trade away their top prospects, and it could result in them making a deep October run.
Twins’ Trade Away Top Reliever on Market in Massive Haul