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Thee Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins trade offer could end up being the biggest of the trade deadline
Photo credit: Jesse Johnson / USA TODAY Sports
According to a recent report, the Toronto Blue Jays are making significant progress in their pursuit of Minnesota Twins star closer Jhoan Duran as the MLB trade deadline approaches.
Discussions between the two clubs have intensified, suggesting that a deal could be finalized soon.
Blue Jays close to landing star Twins pitcher.
Josh Goldberg from Blue Jays Nation writes that if the Blue Jays are truly intent on adding a high-impact arm to their bullpen, Twins star closer Duran would be a perfect fit.
"Duran would fit the bill. Duran is one of the most dominant relievers in the league. The 27-year-old owns a 1.66 ERA with 15 saves and 49 strikeouts across 43 1/3 innings this season. Duran's average fastball velocity of 100.3 miles per hour ranks in the 100th percentile among MLB pitchers, and he routinely makes opposing batters look silly." -Goldberg
Duran also possesses a rare combination of skills that makes him even more valuable out of the bullpen. Not only does he get opposing hitters to swing and miss with ease, but he also owns an exceptional 69.9% groundball rate, ranking in the 100th percentile among all pitchers.
It's incredibly unknown uncommon to find a pitcher who throws with that kind of velocity, consistently misses bats, and generates soft, routine goundouts at such a high rate.
"Duran has two more years of team control via arbitration following this season, meaning the acquisition cost will be sky high. The ability to get one of baseball's premier relievers for a possible three postseason runs will likely require a combination of young major-league talent and top-tier prospects." -Goldberg
While the Blue Jays might not appear to be the most obvious destination for Duran at first glance, they do possess a collection of intriguing prospects that could catch the attention of the Twins' front office, especially if Minnesota decides to genuinely explore trade options for their elite closer.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 19 | 857 ANSWERS Thee Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins trade offer could end up being the biggest of the trade deadline Should the Blue Jays trade for Jhoan Duran at the deadline? | ||
| yes | 495 | 57.8 % |
| no | 362 | 42.2 % |
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