Red Sox trade idea adds flamethrowing closer to already formidable bullpen

Despite not having a set closer entering the season, the back-end of the Boston Red Sox bullpen has been surprisingly dominant. 

Thus far, the Red Sox have alternated between veteran left-hander Aroldis Chapman and right-hander Justin Slaten in the ninth inning, depending on the matchup, and both pitchers have excelled. Chapman has struck out 14 batters against just four walks while displaying his usual triple-digit fastball, and Slaten has made nine scoreless appearances in ten total outings while retiring 21 straight batters. The Red Sox have also received strong contributions from oft-injured right-hander Garrett Whitlock, who has posted a 1.84 ERA and a 19-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio in mostly a multi-inning role. 

Though the Red Sox's three-headed monster looks formidable, the rest of the bullpen leaves something to be desired. Free-agent signee Justin Wilson has been inconsistent at best, Greg Weissert was rocked by the Chicago White Sox after a strong start to the season, and Zack Kelly was optioned to the minor leagues after allowing 10 runs in his first 10 innings. The club's ultimate hope is that Liam Hendriks could take on a high-leverage role, but it is hard to depend on a 36-year-old who went nearly two years between major-league pitches. 

With aspirations of competing for a title and one of the deepest farm systems in baseball, it’s likely the Red Sox will be aggressive in upgrading their bullpen at the trade deadline, and Athlon Sports' Sam Bernardi believes they could make a move for one of the most electric arms in all of baseball: Minnesota Twins closer Jhoan Durán.

“Since entering the league in 2022, he has a 2.51 ERA, a 2.83 FIP, and utilizes one of the hardest splitter/four-seamer combinations in baseball,” Bernardi wrote. “In this velocity, analytics-crazed era, pairing two missile-for-arms like Chapman and Durán would instill fear in even the most dangerous lineups.”

While the Twins have gotten off to a dismal 8-15 start, Durán has been as reliable as usual, posting a 1.74 ERA and generating ground balls at a 70% rate. If the Twins are not able to recover from their early season struggles, they may finally pull the plug on their current core, and the 27-year-old Durán would be their most attractive trade piece. 

Given that Durán is under team control through the 2027 season and is making just over $4 million this year, the price for his services will be as steep as any reliever in recent memory. In his proposal, Bernardi has the Red Sox given up starting pitchers Kutter Crawford, David Sandlin, and Hunter Dobbins. Crawford hasn’t pitched this year due to a knee injury but posted solid numbers in 33 starts last season and could benefit from pitching in spacious Target Field after allowing a league-leading 34 home runs in 2024. Dobbins, meanwhile, has turned in a pair of quality spot starts in the absence of Crawford, while Sandlin possesses one of the liveliest arms in the Red Sox system, including a fastball that can touch triple-digits and a sharp slider. 

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