The Detroit Tigers could look to beef up their bullpen at the trade deadline. Holding MLB’s best record at 59-34, the team could make some moves to solidify their status as World Series contenders.
The Athletic’s Tim Britton, Aaron Gleeman, and Chad Jennings named Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Duran as a potential candidate for Detroit. The Twins are currently 44-47, and well out of the division race as they are 14 games behind the first-place Tigers in the AL Central.
“Minnesota’s closer for the past three years, Duran often overpowers hitters and has gone over 70 innings without allowing a homer,” they wrote. “Duran is one of the league’s best relievers, still cheap and under team control through 2027, so the Twins will likely ask for the moon and might be able to get it somewhere. He has the ability to transform an entire bullpen and ranks second to Devin Williams in reliever Win Probability Added since 2022.”
The hard-throwing right-hander is in the midst of another stellar season for the Twins. Duran has 13 saves, and is 5-3 with a 1.56 ERA and 45 strikeouts this season.
The Tigers have mostly gone closer-by-committee this season. Will Vest has 15 saves, and Tommy Kahnle has 9. Adding Duran to the team would give them a lockdown closer at the end of their bullpen to push the team over the top.