This is based on nothing but pure speculation. The team gave up what at the time looked like a large haul to acquire the closer that has stabilized the back of their bullpen and probably wouldn’t be too enthused to move him again.
Yet as the price for elite relief pitching is probably going to keep climbing higher and higher, so moving someone like Duran to help other areas of need is at least something worth talking about. Should the Phillies move Jhoan Duran this offseason?
For me, the answer is
two fold. First, there is no reason to move him in the offseason as they still have the roster to make something happen in the playoffs. Losing their best reliever is shooting themselves in the foot for no real reason. Second, the idea for moving Duran probably rests with the ideas that someone like Alex McFarlane could step into the role of closer with the Phillies and be at least 85% of what Duran delivers, something that seems doubtful right now. There is the other idea that moving Duran would net the Phillies at least one top prospect that their system actually needs right now. As one of the worst farm systems in the game, they could use an infusion of talent, but the cost of doing so simply isn’t worth it for a team with desires to make and compete in the playoffs.
Now, if they are doing poorly at the trade deadline, this question gets asked again….
