Philadelphia Phillies Secure Jhoan Duran: Stellar Reinforcement for the Close
The Philadelphia Phillies have finalized an agreement to acquire star closer Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins.
Duran, considered one of the most sought-after relievers on the market before the trade deadline, attracted the interest of multiple teams eager to strengthen their bullpen.
The Phillies secured the victory in this negotiation, sending catcher Eduardo Tait and right-handed pitcher Mick Abel, both prospects, to Minnesota as part of the deal. Tait and Abel hold the fourth and fifth positions, respectively, in the Phillies’ minor league prospect rankings.
Duran, with his imposing stature of 6 feet 5 inches and 230 pounds, has been a prominent figure in the current season, even participating in the All-Star Game. He is recognized as one of the best relievers in baseball, thanks to his impressive repertoire of pitches. His fastball averages 100.3 mph, complemented by a splinker that reaches 97.5 mph and a curveball that destabilizes hitters. In addition, the right-handed pitcher has two more years of team control after this season.
At 27 years old, Duran has not allowed home runs so far this season, and his 1.66 ERA ranked him sixth among MLB pitchers with at least 43 innings pitched at the time of the All-Star break.
