Virtually every contender is looking for relief help come the deadline each season, and the 2025 campaign figures to be no exception to that. According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, two members of the Twins’ bullpen are getting plenty of attention from rival clubs this trade season: closer Jhoan Duran and setup man Griffin Jax. Nightengale highlights the Phillies as one potential suitor, a suggestion that lines up with reporting last week regarding Philadelphia’s interest in the pair, and goes on to list the Tigers, Cubs, Dodgers, and Reds as other clubs that are intrigued by Minnesota’s impact arms.
It’s not hard to see why teams would have interest in the duo. Duran is the bigger name of the two. The 27-year-old has averaged more than 100 mph on his fastball every season of his career and pairs his impressive 31.0% career strikeout rate with a career ground ball rate of 63.9%. That ability to both miss bats and keep the ball on the ground is hard to match, and Duran’s 2.38 ERA since making his big league debut back in 2022 speaks for itself. Jax, meanwhile, pitched poorly as a starter in his rookie season but has posted a 3.22 ERA with a 2.63 FIP, a 30.3% strikeout rate, and a 50.3% ground ball rate since moving to the bullpen in 2022.
A .391 BABIP has held Jax’s results back this year, but he’s striking out an absurd 38.0% of batters faced while walking 5.8%. Duran, meanwhile, has by far the lowest K-BB% of his career in 2025 but is making up for it with an eye-popping 69.2% ground ball rate. Duran is in the midst of the stronger season and has substantial closing experience that Jax lacks, but either one should bring Minnesota back a haul if traded this summer between their dominance and the fact that they can both be controlled via arbitration through the end of the 2027 season.
Of course, all of this hinges on the Twins actually being interested in selling. President of baseball operations Derek Falvey suggested just a few short weeks ago that the club was not “focusing on” the possibility of selling this summer. Minnesota has gone 11-8 since Falvey made those comments, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see them decide to hold onto controllable pieces like Duran and Jax. On the other hand, trading one of the club’s two dominant relievers could make it easier for the club to address other holes in the roster while still retaining the other to serve as one of the sport’s best closers going forward.
Looking at the potential suitors, the Phillies and Reds make a ton of sense as teams that could desperately use reinforcements in the bullpen. Philadelphia’s gamble on Jordan Romano this past winter hasn’t worked out, and a PED suspension for Jose Alvarado means that he’ll not only miss half the year but be ineligible to pitch in the postseason for the Phillies this year. That leaves the club in desperate need of the sort of lockdown relief arm they lost when they allowed both Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez to walk in free agency last year. As for the Reds, Cincinnati’s closer Alexis Diaz was torched to a 12.00 ERA in six outings before being optioned to Triple-A and eventually traded to Los Angeles, where he’s continue to struggle.
The Cubs and Tigers have less glaring needs at the back of their bullpen, but both figure to be very aggressive this summer as they currently sit positioned for a bye through the first round of the playoffs. Adding a dominant closer at the deadline can be a way to push a good team over the edge and make them favorites in the postseason, and while incumbent closers Daniel Palenica and Will Vest are impressive relievers it’s not hard to see why Chicago or Detroit would want a more proven option in the ninth for a playoff run. As for the Dodgers, the club’s splashy additions of Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates to the back of their bullpen have looked a bit shakier than anticipated, and given how aggressively L.A. prioritized adding relief help in the winter it’s understandable they would continue to do so this summer with both of their star additions sporting ERAs approaching 4.00.
Reds could seriously use bullpen help but it will be too late as usual if they actually address it, they have dropped a lot of games late already due to the bullpen blowing leads.
I am not so sure they will anyway per their usual history. Most likely selling any contract of any value.
The Red Sox should trade for Duran, to put together a Duran Duran reunion tour. Sweet Caroline is getting old…
Besides, he’s good and they could use another bullpen ace.
Set up a three team trade where red sox get twins duran christian vasquez and a stating pitcher sandy alcantara
Twins get jaren Duran and conor wong
And third team marlins
Twins number2 prpect and pitching prospect and casas
We already have a better version of Sandy Alcantara in Walker Buehler.. Alcantara has been maybe the worst starter in baseball this season
Why would they want Vasquez or Alcantara?
Nothing personal, but Fenway fans singing Sweet Caroline is so cringingly pretentious.
Twins are only 3 games out of a WC, with a couple mediocre teams in front of them. And the AL is wide open for whomever gets hot in the playoffs. I can’t believe they’d sell Duran.
This is the kind of wishful thinking that gets bad teams like the Twins in trouble. They have almost no shot to make playoffs and no shot to win with their crap SP. To hold on to a reliever like Jax or even Duran for a minimal shot to make the 15000 Twins fans happy is bad decision making. But good luck.
Lots of AL teams have no SP. Red Sox have Crochet and nobody else. Rays have good but unproven SPs. Not sure who the Jays would wheel out in a playoff series.
I like what i’ve seen from the Twins this week vs the Cubs and my awful Bucs
I wouldn’t call Bello & Giolito “nobody else”. Both sport low 3 ERAs and are dominating for Boston right now.
The Twins are 4 games out of a wildcard and they have 6 teams ahead of them not including the division leading teams if one of the wildcard teams takes the division. The Twins are not getting in.
If its a certainty then why do they even play the games?
It’s probability. Their chances of surpassing all of those teams and getting into the playoffs aren’t zero but it certainly would be a logical decision to sell pieces and get a decent return. They are bulllpen arms which are obviously valuable but you’re not trading your future away here.
As to why they play the games, there is a schedule and they make money.
I can’t imagine they’d trade with a division rival. If they’d consider another AL team, the Mariners need one more dependable reliever to take some of the pressure off Muñoz.
That Tyler Mahle trade far enough in the past now for the Twins to be talking with the Reds again?
Love to see Duran or Jax and Bader to the Padres for multiple pieces.
Bader slides over to lf and Duran or Jax adds to the pen.
A guy like Bergert, who I’d hate to lose plus several pieces could go back in the deal.
The padres certainly wouldn’t target the bullpen first. But Duran starts with a top 100 prospect.
towinagin, the Padres have ample ammunition already in the bullpen, thank you very much. Please allow some other teams to acquire some power arms as well.
Reds have addressed their bullpen quite well in the past two seasons. Pagan, Rodgers, Barlow and Moll have performed as well as could be expected. Martinez was brought in as a long reliever but was moved into the starting rotation. We all know you hate the front office but try to include facts when you begin typing.
Huh? Duran or Jax would instantly be their best reliever. They’ve pieced it together but that bullpen lacks an elite lockdown arm.
I don’t really understand the hostility unless this account is coming from the front office. The Reds bullpen could use some help.
My reply was to the first commenter. Not sure how it got moved down. He said FO has done nothing to address bullpen when they have. I agree we could use another arm, who couldn’t? But his excessive whining about the FO is often unfounded.
Mason miller had a terrible May but is back on track. Having a good closer on a bad team is a luxury. So I wonder if A’s consider dealing him
Miller + Rooker
For
Mets prospects + Vientos
West Sacramento is probably thinking it’s best to trade Mason Miller before he becomes too expensive
You cant trade either if your Minnesota, Coulombe for a SP prospect is a good trade. Id say Buxton to the Mets for Jonah Tong is a good trade.
Luke Keaschell is the second coming of Mike Trout.
Why no mention of the Mets, Padres, or Yankees?
Because not everything is about the New York teams.
Obviously it’s not. But the Padres are not a New York team, and the Mets and Yankees are known to be seeking bullpen help.
I can’t help wonder what happened to you that made you so angry and bitter.
Touchy Touchy! Fans of the Yankees and Mets tend to have a bit of entitlement,
While I do personally feel that the Seattle Mariners may need is an RBI producing first baseman. I think it would help if they could get Griffin Jax and Willi Castro. I like Ben Williamson, and I do think that his club saves runs, but I think they need a little more at the plate from third base. In a perfect world go get Naylor from the D backs as well to play first base and you
Not only have a playoff team, but a team that could do some damage and make a run in the playoffs.
Duran would be a big upgrade over Palencia for the Cubs. The kid throws 100+ but nobody knows where TF it’s going to go from pitch to pitch.
Jordan Yost, Fla HS SS committed to UF picked by DET. Ranked just 50th by mlb, Harold Reynolds and Dan O’Dowd both praised the pick, saying Yost had the best combine performance. They said his defense is outstanding. Also struck out just once in 135 ABs.
I’ve learned not to question Scott Harris. Tigs still have #34 pick, so maybe they’re eyeing a McGonigle-type move.
At #34, Tigs get HS C Michael Oliveto, Yale commit, from Hauppauge HS (NY).
Tigers wisely building the lower ranks of the farm.
As a Twins fan, I wouldn’t be upset to see Duran go for what could be a kings ransom at the deadline. The guy has a ticking time bomb for an arm and his velo is already showing inconsistency.