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Twins RHP Jhoan Duran (Getty Images)
With just under 24 hours to go until the 2025 MLB trade deadline, the Phillies and Twins synced on the biggest deal yet Wednesday evening, with Philadelphia acquiring all-star closer Jhoan Duran from Minnesota in exchange for RHP Mick Abel and C Eduardo Tait.
Duran, 27, arrives with multiple years of team control and will solidify the back of the Phillies’ bullpen as Dave Dombrowski positions his roster for another shot at a title. The Twins, meanwhile, land a Top 100 Prospect in Tait, who checked in at No. 50 in our latest update, along with another player in Abel who spent time on the list earlier this season. Tait is the first Top 100 Prospect traded at the deadline since 2023, and the highest-ranked prospect dealt at the deadline since the Juan Soto deal in 2022.
PHILLIES RECEIVE
Jhoan Duran, RHP
Age: 27
Few closers have been as overpowering as Duran has been over the past few years, and he has managed to blend durability with his dominance. Since reaching the majors in 2022, Duran has posted a 2.47 ERA and a 2.77 FIP in 233.2 innings and he’s one outing away from 50 appearances for a fourth-straight season.
His strikeout rate has dipped a bit this year (25.7%) but he’s also allowed just one home run all season. Duran also doesn’t throw as hard as he did a couple of years ago, but that means he now sits at 100 mph with his fastball instead of nearly 102, as he did in 2023. He’s turned more frequently to his splinker in recent years, to the point that now it’s a pitch he uses just as much as his four-seamer.
Duran will be arbitration-eligible for each of the next two seasons before reaching free agency. He’s a closer in the prime of his career with multiple years of team control.
TWINS RECEIVE
Mick Abel, RHP
Age: 23
Abel has long mixed tantalizing stuff with slipshod command and control that led to underperformance. The 2020 first-rounder out of high school in Oregon ascended quickly through the lower levels of the minor leagues before hitting snags at Double-A and Triple-A in recent years. The 2024 season in particular was rough, and the Phillies tinkered with his mechanics over the course of the offseason to find a solution. It worked, and Abel vaulted back up to sixth in their system at the time of the deal.
The righthander made his big league debut this season and has shown flashes of his potential over the course of six starts. He has worked with five pitches this season, led by a four-seamer that averaged 96 mph during his appearances with Philadelphia. He backed the pitch with a curveball, slider, sinker and seldom-used changeup. He’s young, controllable and an excellent gamble for the Twins’ pitching department.
Eduardo Tait, C
Age: 18
Despite being young for every level, Tait has always been the one taking lunch money from more veteran players. He’s strong, powerful and comes equipped with a lefthanded swing designed to do damage. His 11 home runs with Low-A Clearwater are tied for second in the Florida State League. He earned a promotion to High-A Jersey Shore on July 22 and was one of the youngest players in the South Atlantic League before the trade.
While there’s little doubt about Tait’s offensive upside, he has more than a bit of work to do to stick behind the plate. His arm is plenty strong for the position, but his body is on the wrong side of stocky already and he’ll have to work hard to keep it that way. If he can do that, he’ll improve his lateral mobility and up his chances to remain a catcher. If not, there will be more pressure on his bat to produce either at first base or DH. Tait ranked third in Philadelphia’s system.
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