The Philadelphia Phillies are in dire need of a late-game reliever, and Dave Dombrowski is looking to make a deal for one of the best closers in the game, Jhoan Duran. This would be a dream scenario for Philadelphia, considering Duran's dominance and the additional two years of club control he'd come with, but with those factors in mind, it'll be expensive to acquire him. It might even be more expensive than Phillies fans anticipated, based on what USA Today's Bob Nightengale is reporting.
The Minnesota Twins are expected to trade closer Jhoan Duran by the end of the day with the Los Angeles Dodgers in strong pursuit.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 30, 2025
The Twins have also been in heavy discussions with the Phillies but have not lowered their asking price of prized pitching prospect Andrew Painter.
Yes, you read that right. The Minnesota Twins are asking for Andrew Painter, Philadelphia's top prospect, and the eighth-best prospect on MLB Pipeline's top 100 list, in a Duran deal. It's entirely possible that the Twins lower their asking price, but since they don't have to trade Duran, they might hold firm.
If they do, the odds of the Phillies acquiring him are slim to none, and for good reason. As good as Duran is, trading Painter for him should be a non-starter. There are other relievers the Phillies can and should pivot to.
It makes sense for the Phillies to turn down that ridiculous ask, but doing so could create a nightmare situation for Philadelphia. He could go to arguably the favorite to win the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers, instead.
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Phillies face impossible Jhoan Duran dilemma
It feels like no matter what the Phillies do here, they're in trouble. Trading Painter, arguably the best pitching prospect on the planet, who is on the verge of being MLB-ready, for Duran would be a mistake. Sure, there's always a risk that comes with trusting prospects, but you'd have to think Painter, at the very least, can be Duran in the bullpen with the stuff he has, if he doesn't pan out as a starter.
The asking price for Duran, if Painter is a sticking point, is ridiculous, but then, it sounds like the alternative is that he goes to the Dodgers and fills their biggest hole. The Dodgers' bullpen has been incredibly injured and overworked this season, and that's led to that unit being a bit of an Achilles' heel for them. Adding Duran would immediately change that, and make the Dodgers clear favorites over Philadelphia to represent the National League in the World Series.
Either the Phillies drastically overpay for Duran, or they watch the reliever they covet go to a team they're in direct competition with. I do not envy the position Dave Dombrowski is in. The Twins are making his life difficult. It'll be interesting to see how he threads this needle.