The Minnesota Twins did not trade closer Jhoan Durán during Tuesday’s matchup with the Boston Red Sox.
It’s easy to see why people were speculating they had, however…
Durán was shown gathering his things and hugging teammates in the middle of the third inning, which prompted many to postulate that he’d been shipped off from his floundering club to a contender prior to the trade deadline. ESPN’s Jeff Passan quickly reported that was not the case, however, explaining the situation quite simply.
“(Durán) was just hugging his bullpen catcher because that’s what friends do sometimes,” Passan posted to X.
Why the hug?
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The Twins very well could have been playing some sort of prank on folks, as bullpen catcher Frank Nigro was seen grabbing the posterior of Durán — perhaps in a joking fashion. It’s also entirely possible that the score was getting out of hand and the closer’s services didn’t look like they’d be needed, in which he could have decided to head back to the dugout.
Durán is one of the most desirable arms on the market, though, and while it still remains unlikely he’ll be dealt, all eyes will remain glued to him until the clock strikes 6 p.m. ET on Thursday.