MLB Rumors: 3 Trade Landing Spots For Jhoan Duran
Jhoan Duran is the most valuable piece they own.
The hard-throwing right-hander returned from a left oblique strain Tuesday when Philadelphia activated him from the 15-day injured list, and the numbers he carried into his absence made the trade conversation around him impossible to ignore.
In seven appearances before the injury, Duran posted a 1.35 ERA with a 0.75 WHIP and five saves, continuing to be one of the most dominant late-inning arms in the sport.
He was acquired from the Twins last summer for catching prospect Eduardo Tait and right-hander Mick Abel, and with the Phillies appearing headed toward a seller's deadline, he is the first name on their trade board.
Things could absolutely change, however, especially with the Phillies rattling off four straight wins.
FanSided's Wynston Wilcox wrote that the Phillies should strongly consider making Duran available, and mentioned three specific teams.
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are 24-11, sitting comfortably in first place in the AL East, and still carrying a real question mark in their bullpen beyond David Bednar.
Bednar has nine saves and has been the only consistent late-inning arm in New York, but one reliable closer does not make a playoff bullpen, and the Yankees know it.
A proposed package of outfield prospect Spencer Jones and left-hander Luis Gil going to Philadelphia in exchange for Duran has been floated.
Jhoan Duran (1IP 1H 1ER 3BB 2K) tried his hardest to make it interesting but ultimately got the job done in the Phillies blow out 9-1 win over the Athletics. Despite having 100 in his back pocket, it was his sweeper that was our RP Pitch of the Day pic.twitter.com/F8bEFjf8ni
— Baseball Prospectus (@baseballpro) May 6, 2026
Gil has no rotation spot on a Yankees staff with one of the best pitching rotations in baseball.
Jones is blocked in an outfield featuring Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Jasson Dominguez.
Adding Duran to a Yankees bullpen that already has Bednar would give New York two elite late-inning options heading into October, which is when the pennant races are actually decided.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers lost Edwin Diaz to elbow surgery in April, making him the sixth reliever to hit the injured list, and their bullpen has been operating by committee in ways that should make a championship-caliber organization uncomfortable.
As Wilcox put it, this move has Los Angeles written all over it.
The Dodgers have the prospect capital to essentially dictate their own return, with names like Andy Pages, Justin Wrobleski, and Emmet Sheehan all representing the kind of big-league talent the Phillies would need to rebuild after a fire sale.
Jhoan Duran kept his entrance from when he was with the Twins and introduced it to the Bank. pic.twitter.com/LU1NvVHgyk
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 2, 2025
A FanSided mock trade built around outfield prospects Bryce Hope and Jason Tibbs alongside pitcher River Ryan and infielder Alex Freeland was floated as a framework Philadelphia could find compelling.
Duran at 100 mph with a hammer curveball and a 90 mph splitter in a Dodgers uniform that already has Tanner Scott and Alex Vesia would make an October bullpen that is very difficult to score against.
The Phillies would not want to trade Duran to a division rival, but the return the Dodgers can offer may override that hesitation.
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs have been ravaged by bullpen injuries all season, carrying six relievers on the injured list simultaneously while somehow maintaining a lead in the NL Central.
Caleb Thielbar, Riley Martin, Phil Maton, Hunter Harvey, Porter Hodge, and Ethan Roberts have all missed time.
Hoby Milner, Ryan Rolison, and Ben Brown have kept things functional, but the margin for error is essentially nonexistent.
Adding Duran to that group would transform the Cubs' bullpen into one of the best in the National League.
Chicago has the prospect depth to make Philadelphia a competitive offer, and the organizational urgency to make the call sooner rather than later.
Photo Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
