Closer Jhoan Duran, outfielder Harrison Bader acquired from Minnesota Twins at MLB trade deadline expected to boost Phillies' World Series chances.
The Phillies talked to everybody.
Likewise, anybody the Phillies have, including their top and perhaps untouchable prospects, earned inquiries from opposing teams.
“Basically, I can’t tell you there was any club over the last time period that we did not speak to,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said after the MLB trade deadline had passed the evening of July 31.
“There was no stone unturned.”
Underneath they found what all agreed were their greatest needs — a relief pitcher and a right-handed outfield bat.
Jhoan Duran, who’ll likely settle into a closer role, and versatile outfielder Harrison Bader both came from the Minnesota Twins and will be in uniform when the Phillies open a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 1 at Citizens Bank Park.
How their additions alter the 26-man roster will be revealed sometime before that game.
In the trade deadline’s final stages, the Phillies then added to their pitching depth by acquiring right-hander Matt Manning from the Detroit Tigers for 18-year-old outfielder Josueth Quiñonez. Though he made 50 starts for Detroit the past four years, Manning had been at Triple-A Toledo this year and will report to low-Class A Clearwater.
Duran did cost the Phillies two of their top prospects. But they held onto the top three — pitcher Andrew Painter and outfielder Justin Crawford at Triple-A Lehigh Valley and Double-A Reading shortstop Aidan Miller.
“We had a lot of conversations still today,” Dombrowski said. “We could have made other trades, like anybody could make more. We’re very comfortable. We’ve added where we think we needed to add.”
Dombrowski added that the Phillies "weren't enticed to trade the big names, although some of the top prospects people still asked about."
Painter, he said, "has the potential to be a No. 1-, No. 2-type starter for a long, long time for us."
The Phils did deal two of their better prospects — pitcher Mick Abel, now at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and High-A Jersey Shore catcher Eduardo Tait — to the Twins in the Duran deal.
Duran is a hard-throwing 6-foot-3, 230-pound right-hander from the Dominican Republic. He is 27 with two years of team contract control beyond this season. He is 6-4 with a 2.01 ERA and 16 saves in 49 games this year. Duran is 17-23 with a 2.47 ERA and 74 saves in 223 games over four years, all with Minnesota.
His velocity has been down a tick this year, however, and his 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings are a career low. But his addition allows the Phillies' most reliable relievers Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm to be set-up men. Jose Alvarado will also return to the bullpen soon from his 80-day PED suspension but cannot pitch in the postseason.
To get Bader the Phillies parted with Double-A Reading outfielder Hendry Mendez, who had been the organization's 12th-rated prospect according to MLB.com, and 16-year-old Venezuelan pitcher Geremy Villoria, who plays for a Phillies team in the Dominican Summer League.
The right-handed-hitting Bader, 31, is batting .258 with 12 homers, 38 RBI and a .778 OPS with nearly identical figures against both left-handed (.774) and right-handed (.779) pitchers this year. It's been his most productive season offensively since 2021. He also has a career .809 OPS and five home runs in the postseason.
Bader won a Gold Glove with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021 and can play all three outfield positions quite adeptly with center field likely his best spot. He is on a one-year contract that includes a mutual option for 2026, meaning he'll likely become a free agent.
“He’s gonna play a lot,” Dombrowski said. “The lineup will be Topper’s (manager Rob Thomson’s) decision, of course. We’re happy to get him. He’s played well this year offensively and defensively. He’s hitting the ball with some pop. We think he’s going to help us.”
Contact Kevin Tresolini at [email protected] and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Phillies trade deadline: Dombrowski talks Jhoan Duran, Harrison Bader
Category: Baseball
