Breaking: Minnesota Twins Trade Jhoan Duran to Phillies

Jhoan Duran is among the best relievers that was available on the open market. The Minnesota Twins have seen his market trend upwards in recent days, and things turned to a fever pitch on Wednesday.

It was another ugly loss against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, but Jhoan Duran was guaranteed to avoid the mound because of it. With multiple teams closing in, a deal got done before the Twins needed to get on a plane to Cleveland.

Philadelphia deals for MN Twins closer Jhoan Duran

Derek Falvey has been floating Jhoan Duran in trade talks as the trade deadline has draw closer. The Philadelphia Phillies were among the most interested teams and the Twins had talked about prospect Andrew Painter. They didn’t land him, but got a deal done anyways.

The Twins and Phillies deal is agreed upon. Right-hander Mick Abel and catcher Eduardo Tait are going to Minnesota for closer Jhoan Duran, sources tell ESPN.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2025

Duran heads to the Phillies with a 2.01 ERA (2.49 FIP) in arguably the best season of his career. He brings high-leverage talent to a Philadelphia bullpen that seriously needs help. By fWAR, Duran has been the 13th-best reliever in baseball, and he’s set to join former Twins teammate Max Kepler.

Eduardo Tait is the top prospect in the deal from Philadelphia. He is the Phillies 4th-best prospect per MLB Pipeline and a fringe top 100 consensus prospect. He’s an 18-year-old catcher at High-A with a .255/.319/.434 slash line this season.

#Phillies No. 4 prospect Eduardo Tait recorded two doubles and drove in a pair of runs Sunday during his first three-hit game at High-A.@USAFRecruiting #AimHigh pic.twitter.com/DEQc5wPORs

— Jersey Shore BlueClaws (@BlueClaws) July 29, 2025

Of course there’s an exceptional amount of uncertainty when dealing with teenagers. The Twins are certainly hoping that Tait can be a future asset behind the dish, and someone that provides a level of stability they haven’t had since Joe Mauer.

Beyond just Tait, Mick Abel is a former 15th overall pick (2020) and has already made his big league debut. In 74 innings at the Triple-A level this season Abel owns a 2.31 ERA with a 9.9 K/9. He has just six big league starts under his belt, and he has allowed 14 runs on 25 hits in 25 innings.

Mick Abel is only 23 and has pitched in 6 games this season with a 5.04 ERA. 2.31 ERA in the minors. Talent is there!

Phillies #6 prospect, with a fastball in the high 90s. Really excited about this pickup#MNTwins
pic.twitter.com/hZRRGfz6xD

— Twins Talk (@LetsTalk_Twins) July 30, 2025

Like Tait, Abel was a consensus top 100 prospect. The upside here is immense for Minnesota considering the team control on both assets. Losing Jhoan Duran won’t be easy, but the transition to the next phase of competitiveness has begun.