Dodgers Calling On Jhoan Duran And Griffin Jax

[Brock Beauchamp]

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Dodgers are pursuing high-leverage relievers and have called the Twins on righties Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax.

It's not surprising the Dodgers are pursuing pitching. Between injuries and underperformance, what looked like an untouchable staff has been rather pedestrian thus far in 2025. Tanner Scott, owner of a shiny new multi-year deal, is pitching to a 4.00 ERA and has a handful of blown saves.

Duran and Jax will be costly. As two of the most elite late-inning relievers in baseball, both will be highly sought after if the Twins decide to sell at the deadline. Both Jax and Duran are under team control through the 2027 season and have displayed late-inning dominance for multiple years, along with relative health. As far as relievers go, they're both the entire package with few flaws to detract from their trade value.

What would you ask for in return for either Jax or Duran?

View full rumor

[C-Gangster]

This trade would require the dodgers to give

Ohtani SP/DH

Freeman 1B

Betts SS

Snell SP

Glasnow SP

(:

[tony&rodney]

Hell ya.

Let the guesstimates flow. I want Dalton Rushing, Emmet Sheehan, and River Ryan and they might all bomb out of baseball. I'm offering Griffin Jax, Christian Vazquez, and Emmanuel Rodriguez. Challenge trade.

[Vanimal46]

According to mlb dot com, most of their top prospects are in A+ or below. Jackson Ferris looks like a good target being a 22 YO AA left handed and breathing starter. 

[Dman]

27 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

According to mlb dot com, most of their top prospects are in A+ or below. Jackson Ferris looks like a good target being a 22 YO AA left handed and breathing starter. 

Beyond Rushing it doesn't feel like a great match with the Dodger's.  Even Rushing doesn't inspire confidence with a .574 OPS at the MLB level.  Would you trade Duran for Jeffers?  That might be about where Rushing ends up. We have no idea, as he has no track record unlike Duran and Jax who do.

They have to do due diligence and check but I imagine they will end up doing rentals in the end. Friedman gets creative and rarely loses a trade so who knows.

[Mike Sixel]

Rushing or Ferris.....

[Mike Sixel]

3 minutes ago, Dman said:

Beyond Rushing it doesn't feel like a great match with the Dodger's.  Even Rushing doesn't inspire confidence with a .574 OPS at the MLB level.  Would you trade Duran for Jeffers?  That might be about where Rushing ends up. We have no idea, as he has no track record unlike Duran and Jax who do.

They have to do due diligence and check but I imagine they will end up doing rentals in the end. Friedman gets creative and rarely loses a trade so who knows.

I'd deal Duran for six years of Jeffers, yes. 

[Dman]

2 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

I'd deal Duran for six years of Jeffers, yes. 

FWIW I do think Rushing will hit better than Jeffers in time.  He has hit at every level so far and generally at the top of his league.  Still it's a gamble as there is no mercy at the MLB level they exploit every weakness. Sometimes guys never adjust.

Personally I'd want more than just Rushing in the deal as LA gets a proven elite closer for three years.  I just don't love the arms in their system.  Maybe the Twins scouts can figure that out though.

Jeffers will get expensive in the not too distant future and they won't want to pay him so it would be nice to have a solid replacement in the wings.  Hate to have to trade an elite closer to do it but maybe that is the only way.

[ziggy]

1 hour ago, tony&rodney said:

Hell ya.

Let the guesstimates flow. I want Dalton Rushing, Emmet Sheehan, and River Ryan and they might all bomb out of baseball. I'm offering Griffin Jax, Christian Vazquez, and Emmanuel Rodriguez. Challenge trade.

We all know the Twins will not pay Jax and Duran. I like this trade proposal without Rodriguez.

Jax is a proven all star. You need to get more than a catcher for a proven all star.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

1 hour ago, Dman said:

Beyond Rushing it doesn't feel like a great match with the Dodger's.  Even Rushing doesn't inspire confidence with a .574 OPS at the MLB level.  Would you trade Duran for Jeffers?  That might be about where Rushing ends up. We have no idea, as he has no track record unlike Duran and Jax who do.

They have to do due diligence and check but I imagine they will end up doing rentals in the end. Friedman gets creative and rarely loses a trade so who knows.

Absolutely trade 2.5 years of Duran for 6 years of a starting catcher.  That's an easy one.  It's also more than they will give up, unfortunately.  Rushing's minor league track record is very good.  68 AB's is not enough of a sample to be meaningful.  

[dxpavelka]

Trading either of these guys is paramount to saying we're not going to be competitive until 2028.  Why the hell would you do that?

[TopGunn#22]

It would start with Rushing but the Twins should be getting Rushing and then some.  The Dodgers want to repeat.  They need a stud at the end of their BP.  Cleveland will NOT be trading Clase.  The only other closer in Duran's league is Mason Miller and it's unclear if the A's would move him.

Rushing secures the Twins "Catcher of the Future" and he WILL hit.  What else do the Dodgers have?  I would focus on players that can't help the Dodgers win now but that have the potential to be very good.  The Dodgers are in a hyper "Win Now" mode, so maybe a pitcher sidelined all season like Gavin Stone (as opposed to Sheehan who can help them win now). 

Another pitcher I'd ask for as a throw in is Bobby Miller.  He's 26 with a 98 mph fastball and was hit in the head by a Michael Busch line drive in spring training.  He was a top prospect who's had some struggles recently (not to mention getting hit in the head with a line drive) but his arm and stuff are very intriguing.

Rushing for immediate help (include Vasquez in the deal with Duran) and then a couple lottery picks in pitchers Gavin Stone and Bobby Miller.  With all the arms the Dodgers have stockpiled, they might just include Stone and Miller.  

[tony&rodney]

13 minutes ago, dxpavelka said:

Trading either of these guys is paramount to saying we're not going to be competitive until 2028.  Why the hell would you do that?

Fair question.

My response is that the current position player roster is deficient to the point where it is going to rely more on luck than skill to finish this season or the next two above .500. It would be sweet to have the luxury of holding both Jax and Duran. I would prefer that, but I'm also greedy enough to want the Twins to field teams that can win 85 plus games in the next couple of years.

From the stats guys: Duran has only had 17 save opportunities. Only Atlanta and the White Sox have had fewer save opportunities thus far this season. Among the teams looking for closers are the Phillies and Dodgers who have each had a pile of blown saves. The Twins will need to suffer a few player losses in order to gain some talent now missing.

I hope that is a fair answer.

[Elliot]

As is generally the case, all discussion on Rushing is whether or not he will hit. My question is whether or not he is a catcher defensively. If not, he will be a DH or corner OF for the Twins. 

[Whitey333]

Sure either one is traceable for the right deal.  I would hope we would get at least one decent player to be of immediate use plus the normal prospects.  Listen this team has been listless for going on two years and longer.  They need a big boost but I have my doubts that they will do much.  I'm guessing they trade players on the last year of their contract.

[tony&rodney]

9 minutes ago, Elliot said:

As is generally the case, all discussion on Rushing is whether or not he will hit. My question is whether or not he is a catcher defensively. If not, he will be a DH or corner OF for the Twins. 

I have tuned in a couple of times, via mlb.com, to watch the Dodgers when Rushing was catching. Previously I saw him a couple of times when he was in the minor leagues. He has improved and looks decent behind the plate now. Not a defensive star but certainly someone the pitchers can trust. The Twins should be asking Milwaukee what is their price for Jeferson Quero, a defense first catcher still in AAA. Brooks Lee?

[jorgenswest]

For Duran I would want Rushing or Sasaki. They would need to add Edgardo Rodriguez or River Ryan to the Rushing deal. They need a pretty sure thing for Duran and those are the only two pretty sure solid major leaguers.

For Jax they can start with Ferris. He will probably be a reliever. They would need to add Ryan or Rodriguez to that deal also.

If they aren’t interested I would wait a year and trade them the next deadline. 

[LA Vikes Fan]

1 hour ago, TopGunn#22 said:

It would start with Rushing but the Twins should be getting Rushing and then some.  The Dodgers want to repeat.  They need a stud at the end of their BP.  Cleveland will NOT be trading Clase.  The only other closer in Duran's league is Mason Miller and it's unclear if the A's would move him.

Rushing secures the Twins "Catcher of the Future" and he WILL hit.  What else do the Dodgers have?  I would focus on players that can't help the Dodgers win now but that have the potential to be very good.  The Dodgers are in a hyper "Win Now" mode, so maybe a pitcher sidelined all season like Gavin Stone (as opposed to Sheehan who can help them win now). 

Another pitcher I'd ask for as a throw in is Bobby Miller.  He's 26 with a 98 mph fastball and was hit in the head by a Michael Busch line drive in spring training.  He was a top prospect who's had some struggles recently (not to mention getting hit in the head with a line drive) but his arm and stuff are very intriguing.

Rushing for immediate help (include Vasquez in the deal with Duran) and then a couple lottery picks in pitchers Gavin Stone and Bobby Miller.  With all the arms the Dodgers have stockpiled, they might just include Stone and Miller.  

I live in LA and follow the Dodgers. Rushing does have a chance to be a MLB quality MLB catcher, more likely to be another Ryan Jeffers. Bobby Miller and Gavin Stone, not so much. Both of them have had real opportunities to step up with all the injuries the Dodgers have had and neither has been able to do so. Same for Dustin May.
 

It’s hard to match up with the Dodgers because they traded so much of their quality depth in the last couple years for people like Glasnow. There just isn’t a lot of quality pitching or hitting in the upper minors in their system. The other possible guy to get would be Kim, who has really hit well for the Dodgers in a reserve role, but I doubt they would be willing to give him up. Besides, he’s another second baseman and I doubt that we need more of those.

[twinfan]

Forget the Dodgers. They are too rich. Look to the Cubs who have a great minor league system if you want players ready for the show.

[Jeff K]

2 hours ago, dxpavelka said:

Trading either of these guys is paramount to saying we're not going to be competitive until 2028.  Why the hell would you do that?

I disagree.  Varland is looking like a very solid late inning pitcher.  If the Twins get the right return for either Duran or Jax, I would do it.  I would only trade one of them.  Let's say it's Duran traded.  That leaves the Twins with Jax and Varland to close things out.  The twins could do worse.  You got to give to receive.

[saviking]

Only if you are doing a short rebuild and dont think next year could be the year.

[Brock Beauchamp]

13 hours ago, ziggy said:

Jax is a proven all star. You need to get more than a catcher for a proven all star.

I will take a decent starting catcher for any reliever 11 times out of 10.

[ziggy]

1 hour ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

I will take a decent starting catcher for any reliever 11 times out of 10.

I see Rushing as a maybe major leaguer. I'm probably gun shy because Miranda and Julien looked like major leaguers for a 1/2 season but the jury is still out on them, way out. 

[notoriousgod71]

19 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

I'd deal Duran for six years of Jeffers, yes. 

What if three of the years are below average?

[Mike Sixel]

14 minutes ago, notoriousgod71 said:

What if three of the years are below average?

I mean, what if Duran gets hurt? What if they have zero good catchers for the next five years? You can't be certain of anything in life. If you believe the target is a legit player, you trade for him. 

[RpR]

Duran - MEH,  Jax, Twins would be hurting, probably.

[TheLeviathan]

11 hours ago, dxpavelka said:

Trading either of these guys is paramount to saying we're not going to be competitive until 2028.  Why the hell would you do that?

I mean....if we do nothing we won't be competitive either.  What's the path to get better if not to trade some of the talent we have now?

[Mike Sixel]

24 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

I mean....if we do nothing we won't be competitive either.  What's the path to get better if not to trade some of the talent we have now?

The idea that trading one RP is giving up for three years is absurd. Milwaukee traded Burnes and didn't quit.

[TheLeviathan]

11 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

The idea that trading one RP is giving up for three years is absurd. Milwaukee traded Burnes and didn't quit.

It's so easy to love Duran and the security we mostly have closing games.

But if you can't freaking get leads because your regular 9 aren't good enough....the most badass bullpen in the world isn't going to save you.

Plus, this organization seems to be especially good at creating bullpen arms.  Leverage that.

[notoriousgod71]

3 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

I mean, what if Duran gets hurt? What if they have zero good catchers for the next five years? You can't be certain of anything in life. If you believe the target is a legit player, you trade for him. 

The question was more in reference to getting six years of Jeffers.