The Seattle Mariners’ top priority over the next four days is to keep their offense firing on all cylinders. They head to Minnesota riding the momentum of a series win over the Chicago Cubs, in which they hit 10 home runs and scored 30 runs.
However, there should be a secondary focus: evaluating Him as a potential trade option.
To be clear, there are no confirmed reports connecting Seattle to the flamethrowing reliever. This is more of a speculative suggestion, originally floated by Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com, who included Duran in a list of potential trade chips from teams on the playoff fringe.
With the Twins sitting at 37-40 and just 2.5 games out of a wild card spot, they certainly fit that description. And while there’s been no public indication of interest, Duran is the kind of arm the Mariners should be keeping an eye on.
Twins closer Jhoan Duran would be a perfect addition to the Mariners’ bullpen
Let’s give Seattle’s current bullpen some credit — June has been a solid month for the group.
After turning in ERAs of 3.70 and 3.88 in April and May, the relief corps has trimmed that number to a respectable 3.36 so far in June. That’s a positive step forward, especially considering Andrés Muñoz has only pitched four times this month.
Still, Seattle’s relievers are lagging in one key metric that defines modern bullpens: strikeouts. Their strikeout rate in June sits at just 23.5 percent, ranking only 12th in the majors.
Right now, only Muñoz and Gabe Speier have consistently missed bats for Dan Wilson’s unit. The bullpen as a whole is allowing contact 78.1 percent of the time — the fifth-highest rate in MLB. Simply put, they need more swing-and-miss stuff, and it’s no secret.
That brings us to Jhoan Duran, who might be the most intimidating reliever in the league today.
The 27-year-old trails only Mason Miller in average fastball velocity (100.2 mph), yet his signature pitch is actually his splinker. Despite his overpowering arsenal, he’s surprisingly hittable at times, but he still ranks in the 87th percentile in whiff rate and 80th percentile in strikeout rate.
At 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds, Duran is under team control through 2027 and earning just $4.13 million, meaning the Twins won’t part with him easily. According to Baseball Trade Values, his surplus value is $22.6 million — equivalent to someone like Cole Young in a straight-up deal from Seattle’s system.
Of course, Jerry Dipoto has other paths he could take if he sets his sights on Duran, whether now or closer to the July 31 trade deadline. Seattle’s farm system is deep, and Dipoto appears ready to make aggressive moves.
As for the current series, the Mariners are facing a slumping opponent. The Twins were hot in May with a 13-game winning streak, but since then they’ve gone 11-20 and have lost 13 of their last 16. Over that stretch, they’ve surrendered an eye-popping eight runs per game — yes, that’s a real stat.
This could be just the matchup the Mariners’ offense needs to stay hot. After erupting over the weekend with 10 home runs — including “only” four from Cal Raleigh — Seattle’s bats are surging.
The bigger concern is when Julio Rodríguez will rediscover his power stroke. He hasn’t homered since May 27 and seems to be pressing with an aggressive but flawed approach. Fortunately, he’s still hitting for average and playing elite defense in center field — power is the only missing piece.
Ultimately, the Mariners will look to leave Minnesota with a second straight series win. Taking all three games would clinch it — and given the direction both teams are heading, that feels very possible.
Be the first to comment