Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Los Angeles Dodgers aim to strengthen their bullpen despite back-to-back World Series wins and recent high-profile additions.
- Duran stands out as the ideal solution to address current reliability concerns in late-game situations, solidifying their path toward a potential threepeat.
- The Phillies would have to think twice about handing Duran to an NL foe, even for a haul of four promising young players.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a team in "break baseball" mode. They've won back-to-back World Series titles, and after adding Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz to their already loaded roster, they're clear favorites to three-peat. With that said, the Dodgers aren't a team devoid of holes, particularly in the bullpen.
Diaz struggled to begin the year and is now expected to miss multiple months after undergoing an elbow procedure. Even assuming he returns later this season, it's hard to fully trust a guy coming off of arm surgery, especially when discussing a team with World Series aspirations. With that being said, Los Angeles will no doubt once again target the bullpen when it comes time to make some postseason upgrades via trade. As annoying as it'd be to see the Dodgers land an ace like Tarik Skubal, they might be even scarier with a premier closer like Jhoan Duran, who should be their top target this summer.
Jhoan Duran would make the Dodgers close to unbeatable
It feels like the only way to beat the Dodgers right now in a postseason series is by getting to their bullpen as quickly as possible — because, well, it isn't very good. Diaz is out, and while Tanner Scott is having a better year in 2026, does anyone fully trust him after how bad he was in 2025? It feels like Alex Vesia is their only airtight reliever right now, and he, himself, isn't going to win the Dodgers a World Series. As unexpectedly dominant as Roki Sasaki was as the closer in last year's postseason, it'd be foolish to expect that again, given how he's pitched so far this year.
Duran, though, is as good as it gets. The hard-throwing righty would give the Dodgers the reliever who I believe is the best closer not named Mason Miller. He has some of the most ridiculous stuff in MLB history, and he's been one of the league's most dominant relief arms for several years now. He's been even better since coming over to the Philadelphia Phillies, posting a 1.98 ERA in 30 regular-season appearances after being acquired at last year's deadline.
Los Angeles doesn't have many, if any, holes other than their bullpen. If they're able to acquire Duran, what is the weakness to exploit? What will prevent the Dodgers from three-peating other than awful injury luck? He's not the only trade target on the table, but Duran is the best (somewhat realistic) option that would address a direct area of need.
To get a player of his caliber, though, you're going to have to part with a lot, and the Dodgers would be doing that in this mock trade.
What a Dodgers-Phillies trade for Jhoan Duran would look like
Here's the deal. Los Angeles would be acquiring Duran, a superstar at a position of need who happens to be under control through the 2027 campaign, in exchange for four prospects.
The headliner would be Zyhir Hope, who ranks No. 45 on FanSided's latest top 100 list. He sounds like a prospect most teams would label as untouchable, especially for a reliever, but what if I told you Hope is merely the Dodgers' fourth-best outfield prospect according to FanSided's Eric Cole? What if I told you Hope is their third-best lefty-hitting outfield prospect? He'd be the headliner in a lot of farms systems, but for L.A., he's just one of many blue-chippers. Hope is a 21-year-old prospect in Double-A, and he has a .813 OPS at that level, more than solid considering his age and the offensive environment.
Also in this deal is another top-100 prospect, James Tibbs III. Tibbs, acquired in last year's deal that sent Dustin May to the Boston Red Sox, is playing as well as any Minor Leaguer this season, as his 11 home runs, 23 extra-base hits and 1.045 OPS in 33 Triple-A games would indicate. Tibbs will be ready to contribute in the majors this season, and with Adolis Garcia looking awfully replaceable, Tibbs can slide right in as their right fielder.
It doesn't stop there, though. The Phillies would be acquiring River Ryan and Alex Freeland as well, two more MLB-ready youngsters that the Dodgers just don't need. Ryan can give Philly valuable starting pitching depth that they desperately need as Zack Wheeler enters his final year of team control and Andrew Painter continues to struggle, while Freeland can be their Alec Bohm replacement at third base.
Would the Dodgers make this trade?
Uh, I hope so! The Dodgers are absurdly loaded, and it feels like the only thing standing in their way, beyond health, is their bullpen. Duran is as good as it gets on the reliever front, and they wouldn't be giving up anyone too important. Hope and Tibbs are great prospects, but Los Angeles has so many outfield prospects at their disposal. Ryan and Freeland have a lot of upside, but Ryan hasn't thrown a big-league pitch since 2024, and Freeland isn't playing every day even with Tommy Edman and Mookie Betts currently injured. He'll probably be back in the Minors when one of them returns from the IL.
The cherry on top is that they'd be acquiring Duran for not just one but two postseason runs. This isn't a rental: The Dodgers can also dominate in 2027 with the dynamic duo of Duran and Diaz locking down games. This is a no-brainer for Los Angeles, even if it's a lot to give up for a reliever.
Would the Phillies make this trade?
This would be a much harder sell for Philadelphia. First of all, Duran would only be plausibly available if they're well out of postseason contention by the deadline — and even then, the Phillies might opt to keep him around and try to win again in 2027. Second, even if Duran were on the block, would Dave Dombrowski really be comfortable sending him to the Dodgers of all teams?
In a vacuum, this package makes a lot of sense. I'd argue the Phillies would be receiving more value for Duran than they gave up to acquire him, despite the fact that he'd be coming with one fewer year of control. However, not only is Dombrowski the last executive anyone would expect to sell, but it's even harder to envision him trading a star to the team that eliminated Philly in 2025.
This is something the Phillies will have to consider if they fall out of contention. It wouldn't be ideal to trade him to the Dodgers, but Philadelphia wouldn't be able to beat this package from a sheer value perspective. It's definitely unlikely, given how urgently they want to win now and that they'd be helping a NL foe. But again, if they're out of it, how can you not even think about a loaded package like this?
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