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Jul 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) reacts after the final out of the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Fleeced? Did the Twins get a good return for Jhoan Duran?

Originally posted on Minnesota Twins on SI
By Tony Liebert | Last updated Jul 31, 2025 10:26 AM ET

The Twins traded star closer Jhoan Duran to the Phillies on Wednesday in exchanged for two players who are ranked in the top 100 of MLB Pipeline prospect rankings: 18-year-old catcher Eduardo Tait (No. 52) and right-handed pitcher Mick Abel (No. 92)

Many fans were clamoring for top Phillies prospect Andrew Painter, and once he wasn't involved in the deal, opinions quickly shifted to Minnesota getting "fleeced." That said, there were reports in the last two weeks that suggested the Twins were willing to deal Duran (or Griffin Jax) for at least two top-100 prospects, and that's what they wound up getting.

Today the #Phillies reportedly acquired RHP Jhoan Duran ($25.7M surplus trade value) from the #MNTwins in exchange for C Eduardo Tait ($17.9M) and RHP Mick Abel ($5.1M).

The deal is accepted by our model.
— Baseball Trade Values (@BaseballValues) July 30, 2025

Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic lands somewhere in the middle when it comes to opinions about the deal. He thinks Minnesota got a "reasonable return" for Duran, but nowhere near enough to warrant the trade considering Duran is under team control through the 2027 season.

My initial reaction is that the #MNTwins got a reasonable return for Jhoan Duran, but nowhere near enough to convince me that trading him was a must with 2 1/2 seasons of team control remaining.

This is good value, but not great value. Both prospects have clear upside, though.
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) July 30, 2025

ESPN's Jeff Passan labels Abel as a "big league-ready starter with first-round pedigree." Standing at 6-foot-5, he was the 15th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft out of high school. He showed promise in some big league starts this season, and he has an impressive 2.31 ERA in 13 Triple-A starts. He's expected to report to Triple-A St. Paul when he arrives in Minnesota.

Could the return package for Duran have been better? It's hard to say it could've been considering there was an apparent bidding war and the Phillies' offer won out. In the end, Minnesota landed two top prospects and they now have six in Pipeline's top 100 as Tait and Abel join Walker Jenkins (No. 11), Emmanuel Rodriguez (No. 40), Luke Keaschall (No. 44), and Kaelen Culpepper (No. 85).

What are others saying?

Andrew McCullough of The Athletic: "It’s an easy trade to like for both sides. The Phillies acquired possibly the best reliever on the market, and didn’t have to part with their best prospects. The Twins managed to get a big-league-ready pitcher with a decent floor and a catcher with potential. I guess the price was right."

Chad Jennings of The Athletic: "Could the Twins have held out for Andrew Painter? They could have tried — I’m sure they did try — but the Phillies weren’t going to do that. Instead, the Twins got a first-round pick in Abel, who’s resurrected his prospect status and could be in the Twins rotation the rest of the year. He’s ready. That’s immediate value with some upside. Does he need to get better? Sure, but the Twins aren’t the worst organization to get him there. They also add some lottery ticket upside in Tait, who might not be a catcher in the long run, but he sure can hit from the left side. There’s a decent floor with Abel, and a high ceiling with Tait."

Tyler Kepner of The Athletic: "It’s hard to see the Twins regretting this deal. The Phillies might, in time, but they had no choice but to fix the bullpen, and Duran gives them a better chance to win a championship. That’s what matters most now."

Karl Rasmussen of Sports Illustrated: "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."