Twins trade closer Jhoan Duran to Phillies

Ray Duran is old enough to understand trade rumors, his father, Jhoan Duran said. “So he’s been telling me, ‘Don’t get traded. We like it here.’ “

It couldn’t have been easy breaking the news on Wednesday.

Duran, the Twins’ closer for most of the past four seasons, was dealt to the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, a move that demonstrates how serious the Twins are about restructuring the team’s roster. While the Twins’ five pending free agents figured to be shopped before Thursday’s 5 p.m. trade deadline, Duran was not one of them.

In return for the pitcher who ranks ninth on Minnesota’s all-time saves list, the Twins will receive Class A catching prospect Eduardo Tait and rookie righthander Mick Abel. Tait is ranked as the Phillies’ No. 3 prospect by Baseball America and Abel is ranked No. 6.

Tait, an 18-year-old catcher assigned to high-A Cedar Rapids, is batting .255 with 11 homers and 57 RBI in 82 games mostly in Class-A ball this year. Abel, a 23-year-old who was a first-round pick in 2020, is 7-2 with a 2.31 ERA for Class AAA Lehigh Valley this season; he also has made six major-league starts, mostly in June, going 2-2 with a 5.04 ERA.

Duran was viewed as the top reliever available on the trade market, drawing attention from virtually every contending team. Working as the Twins’ closer for the past three seasons, Duran had a 2.01 ERA with 16 saves in 18 opportunities this year. With a fastball that averages 100 mph, a devastating splitter and a wicked curveball, Duran struck out 53 batters in 49⅓ innings while producing one of the highest groundball rates in the majors.

The Twins initially acquired Duran in 2018 through a trade centered around infielder Eduardo Escobar. Duran developed from a starter into a flamethrowing reliever — now complete with a fiery entrance video. He tallied 74 saves and a 2.47 ERA in four seasons with the Twins, and he pitched five scoreless innings during the 2023 postseason when the Twins won a series for the first time in 21 seasons.

The Houston Astros have contacted the Twins about potentially trading for Carlos Correa, their shortstop for seven seasons before he signed, twice, with the Twins as a free agent, sources told the Minnesota Star Tribune.

Trade talks involving Correa appeared to stall Wednesday afternoon, and the three-time All-Star’s contract contains a no-trade clause. Correa is making $36 million this year, and he is owed $92 million over the next three seasons.

“I don’t think it’s serious right now,” Correa said about the Astros’ trade talks. “We’ll see where everything goes, but my goal has always been to be here and win here.”

Correa was not in the Twins lineup Wednesday for their loss to the Red Sox at Target Field after leaving Tuesday night’s game because of a migraine. He underwent an MRI and said he will be ready to play in the next series.

It’s not the first time Correa’s name surfaced in trade speculation, and he says his no-trade clause gives him peace of mind. But he didn’t rule out accepting a trade to Houston, either. He maintains a home in the Houston area, where he trains in the offseason.

Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes is sidelined with hamstring injury that is “a little bit more severe than we had projected,” General Manager Dana Brown said Sunday, and shortstop Jeremy Peña is on the injured list with fractured rib. USA Today reported Paredes could miss the rest of the season, and they’re considering Arizona’s Eugenio Suárez and St. Louis’ Nolan Arenado, along with Correa, to boost their infield.

The Astros nearly acquired Arenado in December, but Arenado blocked a deal with his no-trade clause. Houston, at the time, was reportedly willing to pick up $45 million of the $60 million Arenado was owed over the last three years of his contract.

The Twins would likely be required to pick up some of Correa’s remaining salary to facilitate a trade, and that is one of the hold-ups in the current trade negotiations.

Correa said he chatted with Twins President Derek Falvey and manager Rocco Baldelli about his trade talks Wednesday.

“The thing I really appreciate from this organization is the communication I have with Rocco and Derek,” Correa said. “They keep me in the loop on things like this so I’ve got an idea of what’s happening. At the same time, they’re very honest with me. I appreciate them.”

The results have been mixed.

Correa played through plantar fasciitis in his left foot during the 2023 season, and he had one of his worst offensive seasons with a .230 batting average and .711 OPS in 135 games. The postseason was a different story. He was one of the heroes who helped the Twins win their first postseason series in 21 seasons with nine hits (three doubles) in six games while playing stellar defense.

He was named to the All-Star team in 2024, but he played only 86 games as he developed plantar fasciitis in his right foot. The Twins fell apart in the final six weeks of the season and missed the postseason.