As the Philadelphia Phillies duked it out with the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, the penultimate day of Major League Baseball’s trade window, news broke that the Phillies acquired right-handed pitcher Jhoan Durán from the Minnesota Twins per Ken Rosenthal on Wednesday. Right-handed starting pitcher Mick Abel and catching prospect Eduardo Tait are being sent to Minnesota.
Closer secured
Durán, 27, has 74 career saves over four seasons of work for the Twins. In 2025, he has appeared in 49 games for the Twins, pitching for a strong 2.01 ERA having struck out 53 batters in 49.1 innings.
His 100.2 MPH four-seam fastball is the second-fastest in Major League Baseball. His primary pitch, however, is the split-finger fastball at 97.5 MPH, which he primarily utilizes low in the zone. Durán also works in a knuckle curve and sweeper.
For Philadelphia, who has primarily relied on a closer-by-committee this season, Durán brings security to the back of their bullpen as Durán is largely considered to be one of the best closers in baseball.
Phillies sending out
Mick Abel is half of the deal going back to Minnesota. The Phillies’ first round draft pick in 2020, Abel made his Major League debut earlier this year. In six starts, Abel pitched for a 5.04 ERA in 25.0 innings pitched. The right-hander had an up-and-down trip through Philly’s minor league system, shining over the past year to earn his first Major League start on May 18.
Tait, meanwhile, was Philadelphia’s No. 4 overall prospect and the top catching prospect in the organization. Signed in January 2023, the Phillies had hopes of developing Tait into the spitting image of another Panamanian catcher of years past, Carlos Ruiz.
Under 24 hours remain
With under 24 hours to go until the trade deadline, there are still many question marks for the Phillies. Only losing two top prospects for a closer with 2.5 years left on his contract, the Phillies can now look to use some of their remaining depth to acquire a power bat.
The Major League Baseball trade deadline is set for 6:00 p.m. ET on Thursday. The Phillies have a scheduled travel day on Thursday as they return home for a weekend series against the Detroit Tigers.
