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6 hours ago
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There's no bigger need for the Philadelphia Phillies at the MLB trade deadline than a reliever. Jordan Romano has struggled, Jose Alvarado has been suspended, and the rest of the bullpen has been shaky.
The Phillies are looking especially closely at the American League Central division to address such a clear need. They've been linked to Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, but recently, the Phillies are linked to a pair of Minnesota Twins relievers.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Phillies are targeting Twins relievers Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran. Amid their interest, the Phillies hope to land one of those relievers at the trade deadline.
"The Philadelphia Phillies have been extensively scouting Minnesota Twins relievers Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax..." Nightengale writes, "Hoping to acquire at least one of them (at the trade deadline)."
Either would be a nice pickup, with both Twins relievers under team control through the 2027 season. The Phillies are hoping to land one of these AL Central relievers, and of the two, Duran is the most intriguing.
Duran (27) is younger than Jax (30) and has been having a better season in 2025 than his Twins teammate. Through 43 appearances, Duran has a 1.49 ERA, a 5-3 record, and 15 saves.
Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (59) looks on from the dugout against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Across Duran's 42.1 innings pitched, he has 47 strikeouts, 16 walks, a 1.087 WHIP, and has yet to give up a home run. Duran also has a career-high 284 ERA+ this season, and yet, isn't an All-Star.
He's easily one of the top options for the Phillies at the deadline, but if he proves too expensive or challenging to land, Jax could be a nice fallback option.
In 2024, Jax was one of the best relievers in the game. He had a 2.03 ERA in 71 innings pitched with 95 strikeouts and 15 walks. This season has been a bit different.
Through his 40.1 innings pitched, Jax has a 4.02 ERA, 65 strikeouts, and 10 walks. Last season, he had an ERA+ of 207, but in 2025, his ERA+ is at 105, barely above league average.
His struggles on the mound would make him more available than Duran, but if the Phillies could get him back to 2024 form, they'd have a strong reliever in their bullpen.
As Nightengale reports, the Phillies are extensively scouting both Twins relievers. With the trade deadline less than three weeks away, the Phillies hope they can land one of the Twins' righty relievers to bolster a struggling bullpen.
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