Jordan Romano may be an issue the Phillies can resolve as the season unfolds

“Following the exits of Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez, the Phillies needed another right-handed arm in the bullpen. Romano was expected to fill that void, but he’s had a rough start in Philadelphia,” Sullivan noted.

In a proposed mock trade from Athlon Sports’ Matthew Sullivan (via Jackson Roberts of The Sporting News), the Philadelphia Phillies would send struggling reliever Jordan Romano to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for dominant closer Jhoan Duran.

Bringing in Duran would give the Phillies another right-handed option — and potentially their future closer. A bullpen anchored by Jose Alvarado, Matt Strahm, and Duran could rank among the league’s elite.

Duran could push Phillies away from closer-by-committee approach

After acquiring Romano this offseason, the Phillies leaned toward a closer-by-committee model for the 2025 season, and they’ve followed that plan so far. However, Romano — still recovering from an injury-plagued 2024 — has stumbled early, posting a bloated 15.75 ERA with seven earned runs over just five appearances.

Meanwhile, 27-year-old Jhoan Duran has tallied 50 saves over the past two seasons and has consistently appeared in 57+ games per year. Aside from 2024, he’s maintained an ERA under 3.00, and currently holds a solid 2.70 ERA.

Duran’s reliability, availability, and ninth-inning composure make him a high-value asset — potentially more impactful than what Romano currently offers.

If Romano can rebound and raise his trade value, a deal for Duran could be a game-changer for Philadelphia’s World Series aspirations in 2025.