Tigers Would Land Twins Star Closer Jhoan Duran in This Trade Proposal

Does this hypothetical trade for Jhoan Duran make sense for the Detroit Tigers?

Jul 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Minnesota Twins relief pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) delivers to the plate during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

It has been a rough stretch for the Detroit Tigers heading into the trade deadline, who have been in quite a slump.

For most of the first half of the season, the Tigers were considered to be the team to beat in the American League. However, Detroit started to struggle a bit heading into the All-Star break, and they haven’t been able to turn things around yet.

This is a team that has a lot of talent and is arguably better than last year's version, but they do have a couple of areas that they might want to upgrade.

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Of those issues, the bullpen has taken center stage. This was a unit that the Tigers relied heavily on in the down stretch during the last campaign, but they haven't been nearly as good.

Without a clear closer, that could be the top priority for Detroit at the deadline, but those types of players don’t come cheap.

One team that they could engage with in trade talks is the Minnesota Twins. The Twins have struggled this season and are seemingly willing to listen to some of their talented players.

In this trade proposal, the Tigers acquire a star closer for a couple of their best prospects.

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Tigers Receive: Jhoan Duran

Twins Receive: Bryce Rainer, Josue Briceno

Duran is one of the best closers in the game, and this would be an impact addition to the ball club. So far this season, the right-hander has totaled a 1.90 ERA and 16 saves in 47.1 innings of work.

At just 27 years old, Detroit would be getting its closer for the next couple of years under team control. However, that will come at a cost.

Bryce Rainer and Josue Briceno are not only two of the best prospects for the Tigers, but two of the best prospects in baseball overall.

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However, this is a deep farm system that has a lot of talent, and it might make sense to try to make an impact move at the deadline.

Even though giving up two of the team’s top five prospects isn’t ideal, Duran could be a long-term answer.

If Detroit is going to remain the team to beat in the AL, it is going to take some improvement at the trade deadline. Adding Duran would certainly help solidify an area of weakness for the team heading into the stretch run.

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