The Philadelphia Phillies have finalized a trade to acquire Twins closer Jhoan Duran.

The Phillies are making a strong push for the championship. According to MLB.com today, the Phillies will send top prospect Mick Abel and Eduardo Tait to the Twins in exchange for closer Jhoan Duran. The team has not yet officially confirmed the trade.

The 27-year-old Duran will significantly strengthen the Phillies' struggling bullpen this season, which is the management's top priority before the trade deadline. Sources indicate that the Phillies are still seeking right-handed hitters to improve offensive stability and have enough prospects and time to work with.

Trade Details
Phillies receive: Right-handed pitcher Jhoan Duran
Twins receive: Catcher Eduardo Tait, right-handed pitcher Mick Abel

Duran will greatly stabilize the ninth inning. This hard-throwing right-hander has a record of 6 wins and 4 losses this season, with an ERA of 2.01 and 16 saves. His four-seam fastball averages 100.2 mph, complemented by a splitter, curveball, and sweeping slider that generate a lot of swings and misses, strikeouts, and ground balls.

His dominance is impressive, and he is not a rental player—Duran is under contract control until 2027, which is the main reason the Phillies were willing to part with Tait and Abel.

Tait (ranked 56th on the MLB Pipeline prospect list) has recently moved up to High-A Jersey Shore and will turn 19 on August 28. Although he has excellent power-hitting potential, he needs time to develop, especially in defensive skills.

Abel (ranked 92nd) has made a strong comeback this season, re-entering the top prospects list. He made a stunning debut on May 19 (6 innings, no runs, 9 strikeouts, no walks). After six starts with an ERA of 5.04, he was sent down to Triple-A but has recently stabilized his performance with the Iron Pigs.

If Abel continues to grow and Tait's potential is realized, their futures look promising. However, the Phillies urgently need immediate impact players—especially since Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, and Ranger Suárez are set to become free agents, and the core roster is aging over thirty.

The Phillies initially hoped that Jordan Romano and Joe Ross would fill the void left by Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez, but Romano struggled and exited high-leverage situations, while Ross was placed on the injured list (expected to return by Wednesday).

Recently, the Phillies signed right-handed pitcher David Robertson, who is expected to join the bullpen by Tuesday. José Alvarado is set to return from an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs (he will return on August 2 but will miss the playoffs).

In the coming weeks, Duran, Robertson, and Alvarado will join the bullpen, combining forces with lefty Matt Strahm, Tanner Banks, and right-hander Orion Kerkering.

The eight-man bullpen still has two spots open: Romano and Ross still have a chance; after Aaron Nola returns to the rotation in mid-August, Taijuan Walker may move to the bullpen. The Phillies will likely need to shift at least one starting pitcher to the bullpen for the playoffs (or do so early), as they don’t need five starters. Jesús Luzardo could be a candidate due to his pitching prowess.

Time will reveal the answers. At this moment, the Phillies are only confident that their bullpen is stronger than yesterday—with Duran anchoring the ninth inning, manager Rob Thomson can flexibly deploy Alvarado, Robertson, Strahm, Kerkering, and Banks in earlier innings.