Phillies acquire closer Jhoan Duran from Twins: ‘He was the best guy out there’

Case closed.

Less than 24 hours before the trade deadline, the Phillies got their closer, agreeing on a deal for Jhoan Duran from the Twins on Wednesday evening.

As expected, the cost was steep: right-hander Mick Abel and teenage catching prospect Eduardo Tait. But for the Phillies, with a core of thirtysomethings that has been together for back-to-back-to-back playoff runs, the time is now to go all-in for the franchise’s third World Series championship in 143 seasons.

Maybe Duran is the missing piece. At minimum, the Phillies now have a pitcher who can close out a playoff series.

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“We just thought he was the best guy out there, really is what it came down to, that was available to be acquired,” Dave Dombrowski told reporters in Chicago after a 9-3 loss to the White Sox in which the bullpen melted down for seven seventh-inning runs. “We felt this was a deal that we got a dominant closer for a tough price — two good players — but something that we thought makes sense."

It’s the most daring swap pulled off by Dombrowski since he took the Phillies’ reins in December 2021.

Duran, 27, is under club control through 2027, so the Phillies could have him for three postseason runs, a term that aligns with ace Zack Wheeler’s contract. If there’s a championship window for this group of players, that’s probably it.

Although the Phillies winced at moving two of their best half-dozen prospects, they didn’t touch their top three: pitcher Andrew Painter, shortstop Aidan Miller, and center fielder Justin Crawford. Dombrowski said teams asked for Painter in talks for closers. The Phillies regard the 22-year-old righty as all but untouchable. Painter and Crawford could make their major league debuts before season’s end.

The question now, with the deadline looming at 6 p.m. Thursday, is whether the Phillies can add a right-handed bat, preferably in the outfield.

“Well, we’re not done,” Dombrowski said. “I mean, we’re not done talking. The deadline’s not over. It’s very tough to acquire two [players] right now, so we have to just kind of see what happens [Thursday], really.”

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Manager Rob Thomson doesn’t usually designate a closer, but then, he hasn’t had a ninth-inning option like Duran, whose fastball averages — repeat: averages — 100.2 mph. Duran also throws a “splinker” — half splitter, half sinker — along with a curveball and sweeper, a newer addition to his repertoire.

In 49⅓ innings this season, Duran has a 2.01 ERA and 53 strikeouts and is 16-for-18 in save opportunities.

But the Phillies’ biggest attraction to Duran is his 30.9% swing-and-miss rate. Through Tuesday, Phillies relievers combined for only a 23.7% whiff rate, 25th among 30 teams.

The Phillies have needed bullpen help since the offseason. Dombrowski replaced two free-agent relievers (Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez) with only one (Jordan Romano). And Romano, a two-time All-Star with the Blue Jays, has struggled to a 6.81 ERA.

It became an even more pressing need in May, after lefty José Alvarado got suspended 80 games for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. He’s expected to return on Aug. 19, but will be ineligible for the postseason.

The bullpen facelift began 10 days ago, with the Phillies signing 40-year-old righty David Robertson to a prorated $16 million contract. Robertson is building arm strength in triple A and is expected to get recalled by Tuesday.

But the reliever market thinned out over the past few days, with the Orioles’ Félix Bautista (injury) and the Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase (non-disciplinary leave) coming off the board. The Phillies targeted Duran, but it wasn’t until late Wednesday morning that they knew he was even available.

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“I really didn’t think this one was possible a couple days ago,” said Dombrowski, who noted that talks with Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey got serious during the Phillies’ 3½-hour rain delay in Chicago and wasn’t close to producing a deal until about 5 p.m. Central time.

The Twins initially wanted Painter, too. But the Phillies’ best pitching prospect since Cole Hamels threw a career-high 103 pitches Wednesday for Lehigh Valley, a sign that he wasn’t going anywhere.

“We’re just not moving him,” said Dombrowski, who wouldn’t put Painter in a deadline deal last year even for ace lefty Garrett Crochet. “We’re not trading him. I know a couple of other guys we told [teams] we’re not trading them either.”

The Phillies could have pivoted to a less costly move, but even the rental market was pricey. Shortly after the Phillies traded for Duran, the Mets acquired Cardinals walk-year closer Ryan Helsley for two minor leaguers, including their sixth-best prospect, according to Baseball America.

Abel, 23, seemed all along like a trade chip. He made his major league debut May 18, shutting out the Pirates for six innings and outdueling Paul Skenes, but posted a 5.04 ERA in six starts before getting sent back to triple A.

One National League talent evaluator said this week that he believes Abel will benefit from playing in a less pressure-filled environment than Philadelphia. Abel is expected to step right into the Twins’ rotation.

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Tait, who turns 19 next month, was batting .255 and slugging .434 with 11 homers at two levels of A-ball. He was recently promoted to high-A Jersey Shore, where he was 8-for-27 in seven games. Another talent evaluator said this week that Tait’s “going to hit,” but there are questions about his defense behind the plate.

The Phillies valued Abel and Tait. But it was the cost of doing business to get a flamethrower whom they can install in the ninth inning for three playoff runs.

“We got a really good guy that we have control over,” Dombrowski said. “I think that makes a big difference. The control aspect is huge. And I think we have a chance to win. A lot of times you can’t get a guy like this.”