The Philadelphia Phillies added a major piece to the back end of their bullpen, agreeing to acquire standout closer Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins in a blockbuster trade on Wednesday.
The Phillies haven't had a true closer this season, splitting the role between various late-innings relievers including Jordan Romero, Jose Alvarado and Matt Strahm, all of whom have six or more saves.
Duran provides them with a stable closer and a dependable option in the ninth inning, having enjoyed a sensational 2025 season.
It wasn't a cheap trade for Philadelphia to execute, though. The Twins were able to pry two of their top prospects away in exchange for Duran, acquiring catcher Eduardo Tait and right-handed starting pitcher Mick Abel.
It's one of the first blockbuster deals of the 2025 trade deadline, and we're going to assess how both teams fared in the swap, giving grades to both the Phillies and Twins.
Philadelphia Phillies: A-
Yes, the Phillies landed themselves the top relief pitcher on the trade market. But they gave up a lot to get him. Abel, 23, has already pitched in the majors this season and has shown flashes of brilliance in his first taste of the big leagues. He's the No. 6 prospect in Philadelphia's farm, per MLB Pipeline, and should develop into a solid MLB starter.
As for Tait, he's the Phillies' No. 4 prospect and while he's still a few years from making his debut in MLB, he certainly seems promising at age 18. At Single A and A+ ball, Tait has a .753 OPS with 11 home runs and 57 RBIs across 82 games, while boasting a great arm behind the plate.
The price was steep, but they managed to hold onto prized pitching prospect Andrew Painter. Duran is electric, with a flamethrower of an arm and a pristine 2.01 ERA with 16 saves on the year. He's struck out 53 batters in 49 1/3 innings and has surrendered just one home run all season. He won't hit free agency until 2028, either, so the Phillies now have themselves a closer for the present, and for the future.
Minnesota Twins: B+
The Twins were certainly hoping to get their hands on Painter, but Abel is an excellent consolation prize. Though he had a 5.04 ERA in his first six starts, he was sensational in his debut, striking out nine batters while surrendering five hits and no runs against the Padres. His upside his high, and he won't be as under as much pressure to perform right away with the Twins not contending just yet.
Minnesota's farm system was lacking a top right-handed pitching prospect, and they received just that in Abel, as well as a developmental piece in Tait who could potentially be an everyday catcher in the majors down the line.
The Twins got a strong offer for one of the game's best closers, and it's hard to blame them for taking it. Although Duran still had a few years of control left on his deal, his value was sky high with relievers going at a premium, and they struck while the iron was hot.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jhoan Duran Trade Grades: Phillies Address Roster's Biggest Need, But at Steep Price.
