Twins fireballer named ideal Dodgers trade fit

The Los Angeles Dodgers will be going for it at the MLB trade deadline for a long time. With Shohei Ohtani’s historic contract freeing up their books, they have room to add players before July 31. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Twins are floundering near the bottom of the American League. ESPN’s Jeff Passan sees those two directions and says the Dodgers would be a great fit for Jhoan Duran.

“With a fastball that averages over 100 mph, a splinker that sits at 98, and a curveball to keep hitters off balance, Durán is pitching as well as ever. He hasn’t given up a home run this season, and his 1.52 ERA is third in MLB for pitchers with at least 40 innings,” Passan wrote.

He continued, “The asking price will be hefty. Durán comes with two more years of team control beyond this season. The Dodgers don’t have time to waste on taking advantage of Shohei Ohtani’s prime, though, and assembling a team with standouts in all facets is a reasonable goal.”

Despite spending a lot of money on relief pitchers in the offseason, the Dodgers need more arms. Passan reported that they are on pace to set the record for pitchers used in a season. Injuries have been a massive problem in Los Angeles, but they can fix that at the deadline.

Duran has been dominant this year and should continue that for years to come. The Dodgers are going to be competing for the World Series for years to come, so paying prospects for a cost-effective reliever would be a smart move. With their elite lineup clicking, LA needs to focus on pitching at the MLB trade deadline.

The Twins may not want to give up Duran, but the Dodgers should be calling for one of the best relievers in the game this year.