It's just another year in which the New York Yankees are all-in on trying to win a World Series.
In their quest to keep the drought from reaching 17 years, the Yankees hit some roadblocks in late June and early July. One of the key reasons for their recent swoon has been the bullpen failing to live up to expectations.
Luke Weaver hasn't been the same guy since returning from the injured list, while Devin Williams has been up-and-down all year. Fernando Cruz is on the IL now, as is Mark Leiter Jr.
With all that context, it would hardly be a surprise to see the Yankees take a swing at a big-name reliever at this year's trade deadline.
On Wednesday, The Athletic's Tim Britton, Chad Jennings, and Aaron Gleeman linked the Yankees to a potential shutdown closer--Jhoan Durán of the Minnesota Twins.
"Duran has three dominant pitches and the unhittable results to match, pairing a triple-digit fastball with two swing-and-miss breaking balls for a 2.40 ERA in four MLB seasons. Minnesota’s closer for the past three years, Duran often overpowers hitters and has gone over 70 innings without allowing a homer," the authors wrote.
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"Duran is one of the league’s best relievers, still cheap and under team control through 2027, so the Twins will likely ask for the moon and might be able to get it somewhere. He has the ability to transform an entire bullpen and ranks second to Devin Williams in reliever Win Probability Added since 2022."
The Athletic piece didn't insinuate that the Yankees are in contact with the Twins, or that Minnesota will be willing to move him (especially if the price is too small to be considered a king's ransom).
But New York's need appears great enough that a trade like this doesn't seem out of the question. And with Williams slated for free agency after the season, bringing in a closer like Durán with extra years of control makes total sense.
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