MN Twins Jhoan Duran is Good as Gone

Where there is smoke there is generally fire. For the past handful of days you could cook a hot dog on the trade rumors percolating around top Minnesota Twins relievers.

Both Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran are among the best options on the open market. It’s possible that Derek Falvey deals both of them, but it seems pretty certain he’ll move at least one.

Duran has been trending towards a new team for a while now, and Wednesday the talks have started to intensify.

Jhoan Duran market heating up for Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins called on Jhoan Duran Monday night against the Boston Red Sox. He allowed a run on a hit and pair of walks across his one inning of work. He got the win thanks to a Brooks Lee walkoff, but that may be the last outing of his Minnesota career.

Source says “things are moving” on Jhoan Duran. Twins could move their closer today.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 30, 2025

The Mariners are making a play to try to acquire Jhoan Duran from the Twins. Nothing finalized. Many teams have been in on the star closer. Expectation is Duran will be traded today.

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) July 30, 2025

With talks intensifying, and the Twins trailing the Boston Red Sox by a sizable amount on Wednesday, there’s no reason for Duran to enter the game. Following the series with the AL East competitor, they will get on a plane and fly to Cleveland. Duran may not need a ticket for that flight.

Duran has a 2.01 ERA (2.49 FIP) across 49 1/3 innings this season. It is arguably the best production of his career and he has been the 13th best reliever in baseball by fWAR.

Jhoan Duran's full entrance because it's fun at night pic.twitter.com/r4Tvqv0Som

— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) July 12, 2025

There are multiple teams that would love to trot out Duran as they look to win down the stretch and ultimately grab a World Series ring. It will be sad to see such a dominant reliever leave the organization. Minnesota grabbed Duran in the Eduardo Escobar trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks, and it was Gabriel Maciel who headlined that deal.

Related: Report: Houston Astros Coming for MN Twins Carlos Correa

The Twins developed Duran as a starter, then unleashed him as a dominant reliever. He has been among the most electric pitchers to ever put on a Twins uniform, and his intro will certainly be missed.

Dodgers and Phillies lurking on MN Twins Duran

Minnesota just played the Los Angeles Dodgers and dropped the series. They won’t see the Philadelphia Phillies until the final series of the year. Both teams are coming in hot for Jhoan Duran.

The Minnesota Twins are expected to trade closer Jhoan Duran by the end of the day with the Los Angeles Dodgers in strong pursuit.
The Twins have also been in heavy discussions with the Phillies but have not lowered their asking price of prized pitching prospect Andrew Painter.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 30, 2025

What the ask is from Los Angeles remains unknown. The Dodgers, as always, do have a strong farm system. Minnesota wants Andrew Painter from the Phillies and that would be quite the get.

Painter is a consensus top-20 prospect across baseball, and he actually had Tommy John surgery following a 2023 Grapefruit League game against the MN Twins.

Across 13 starts at Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season Painter owns a 4.82 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings. The Phillies would certainly love to include other prospects, but it’s great that the Twins are cornering the market and asking for the moon.