Red Sox Could Target Twins' $4.1 Million Fireballer In Trade Deadline Surprise

How active will the Red Sox be at the deadline?

Sep 1, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A full moon rises over the Minnesota Twins logo in a game between the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox should be one of Major League Baseball's most active teams at the 2025 trade deadline.

So far, this season has taught us that the Red Sox should be a good team. They're on a 91-win pace through 25 games, and they haven't played consistently well for much of that stretch. But they will also likely need reinforcements to solidify themselves as true World Series contenders.

Every contender needs a strong bullpen, and the Red Sox are a little thin in that category. Beyond Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock, and Aroldis Chapman, the Red Sox have struggled to get quality innings from their middle relievers.

What if Boston could acquire an established star closer to alleviate pressure on all of those middle relief innings? That's what one baseball writer believes they can and should do before the Jul. 31 deadline.

On Tuesday, NESN's Mike Cole named Minnesota Twins flamethrower Jhoan Duran, who regularly tops 100 miles per hour with his four-seam fastball, as a possible realistic trade target for Boston at this year's deadline.

"Duran (is) under contract through 2027, so the asking price is likely going to be higher. He’s been borderline unhittable to start the season," Cole wrote.

"As of Tuesday, his expected ERA is in the top 6% of baseball, and he’s generating a whiff percentage of better than 30%. The Twins are in baseball’s worst division, so they won’t be raising the red flag anytime soon, but it’s worth monitoring."

This season, Duran is making $4.1 million, which is less than half of what the Red Sox are paying Chapman. Because they'd be getting the 27-year-old for 2 1/2 years, Boston would have to give up a significant haul to Minnesota, though they should be able to hang on to their Top 100 prospects.

Assuming the Twins fall out of the playoff race, the odds are good Duran will move. Whether or not it's a move to Boston depends on the Red Sox's sense of urgency to improve the bullpen.

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