Phillies Acquire RHP Jhoan Duran from Twins for Abel, Tait

[Squire]

For

RHP Mick Abel
C Eduardo Tait

Actual trades get their own thread is a hill I’ll die on

Note--Abel, Tait traded for Duran topic merged here

[andyb]

Makes sense. Steep price.

[ahb]

It’s not cheap and I was getting quite bullish on Abel but given that we have two more years of control for Duran and we didn’t give up one of the big three prospects, I feel decent about this deal.

[kmc1019]

Can't argue with the trade, but the cupboard just got really bare really quickly as far as acquiring an impact RH bat.

[RolenRules]

I don't understand. I thought the Phans on this board were high on Tait. And Abel showed promise in his first few starts.

[Philsmania]

And, who's going to catch for us when Realmuto washes up?

[xogfog]

2026 draft pick ???

[dcsman]

Is Duran controllable through ‘27 or ‘28?

[ArmChairGM]

I like Tait but he is 18 and in single A. No one should have assumed that he would be the heir to JT. I think there are already questions about whether he can stick at catcher anyway.

Great trade! Duran is a bonifide closer with multiple years of team control.

[dicemen99]

I like the deal. Duran is here this year and the next two and will give us more than Abel could have over this period of time. Probably a lot more

People like Tait, but he is a long way from the majors and if he's not a catcher when he gets here, his bat is a lot less attractive. A lot of risk with him, the Phil's are rolling the dice and the probability is likely in their favor. And catcher is a position where defense definitely does matter, so you can't just keep him there if he's subpar.

I think they got about as good as they could have in terms of helping this team. Duran has been really consistent and has huge arm talent. We're not talking about your typical reliever.

[Patchmk88]

Very thankful for Abel. He really rebuilt his value this year, but Phillies don’t have any room for him in rotation in the next few years and drafted a pitcher that is probably on or around his level with the potential to be better. Sad to see Tait go but have to pay something to get a controllable stud closer.

[harrisburghusker]

I'm not a big fan of this trade. Duran's K rate has really fallen off this year and Abel has tremendous stuff. I felt like he was eventually headed for a high leverage bullpen role ala Ryan Madson.

Tait's a throw in and who knows what he turns into...

[zambonir]

Well, three different reporters [Gelb and Rosenthal as well as Nightengale] said the Twins were insisting on Painter, so seems like DD played this one well.

[el-pietro]

I am not high on Abel, Tait is a million miles away so hard to get too excited about him. Duran is under control until 2028 so this seems fair to me.
Mets just one upped the Phils though, getting Helsley.

[dicemen99]

I'm not a big fan of this trade. Duran's K rate has really fallen off this year and Abel has tremendous stuff. I felt like he was eventually headed for a high leverage bullpen role ala Ryan Madson.

Tait's a throw in and who knows what he turns into...

If you think Abel is heading to a relief role the trade should look even better. The absolute best case scenario is that Abel would gradually become what Duran has proven he's going to give you for the next two and a half years.

The Twins are making this deal in the hopes that Abel remains a starter.

[zambonir]

I wouldn't say they one-upped, he's had his warts this year.

I would be happy to see either him or Diaz on the mound in a playoff game based on what I've seen the Phillies do against both of them in past playoff games.

[phillychuck]

Tait isn’t a million miles away or a throw-in. He is currently one of the youngest players in high A, almost 4 years younger than the average age for his level. Age at level is one of the best predictors not only of success, but of stardom. And he’s hitting well, leading the FSL in HRs when he was promoted, and he is a catcher, a position where hitting is really a premium. He has a plus arm, throwing out base stealers at nearly a 35% rate over his minor league career. He is a much higher price to pay than Abel. Trade deadline relievers, even those under control for extra years, rarely fetch top 5 prospects. DD gave up two of them, and all of Duran’s stats are trending down. I suspect he is damaged goods, and I’ll be on the injured train soon.

I don’t like this trade. Minor league fans (and I am one) usually don’t like trades for MLB relievers, and this is one of the most risky we’ve done.

[dcsman]

Need Suarez now. Or Cruz and Bednar/Santana. Dombrowski obviously knows this is an important year. He can’t walk away now, especially with the Mets’ moves today.

[dicemen99]

Is there a trade of a high prospect that you HAVE liked in the past?

Yet the Phillies seem to have gotten the better of most of them - who has come back to burn them?

They're prospects not major leaguers. Most of the guys in the tier you're talking about don't work out. There is a reason why the Phillies won't trade Painter, but will move a guy like Tait. They aren't in the same league as prospects.

[zambonir]

I agree that Tait is no small thing, and in fact the bigger piece in the deal. But he is probably still pretty far away from being a productive everyday major league catcher, even if he's in the bigs by 21. Heck, O'Hoppe is 25, has almost 1000 ABs, and is still hitting some bumps.

And FWIW Abel wasn't a Top 5 prospect, if only just. 6 from both BA and MLB. Considering where he was before this season, I think it was good to sell high. But that's also why he wasn't enough to get this done with a second lesser piece.