With the Boston Red Sox in Minnesota for the team’s last game before Major League Baseball’s trade deadline on Thursday, a social media post from The New York Post’s Jon Heyman connecting the Red Sox to Twins closer Jhoan Durán added a hint of intrigue to an eventual 13-1 Red Sox victory.
With interest in acquiring Twins’ All-Star starting pitcher Joe Ryan already long established, Heyman’s post about the Red Sox’s considering a trade for a closer of Durán’s caliber seemed almost too good to be true. That fact was later reinforced when ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the Philadelphia Phillies have acquired Durán in exchange for two of Philadelphia’s top prospects, right-handed pitcher Mick Abel and catcher Eduardo Tait.
It comes as little surprise that the Phillies went all in on Durán after left-handed reliever José Alvarado was suspended for 80 games in May for violating MLB’s ban on performance-enhancing drugs. The need for a closer became more evident this summer when offseason free agent signing and two-time All-Star Jordan Romano struggled in high-leverage situations when given opportunities to close games.
Durán became the top relief pitcher available on the trade market earlier this week following news that Cleveland Guardians’ All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave by MLB through August 31 as part of an ongoing investigation into sports betting.
With Durán off the board, teams interested in acquiring high-leverage bullpen help could pivot to acquiring still rumored to be available closers such as David Bednar and Ryan Helsley ahead of Thursday’s deadline.
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