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Jhoan Duran's Hug Sends Social Media Into Trade Frenzy
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- Jhoan Duran's Hug Sends Social Media Into Trade Frenzy
Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
When is a hug just a hug and not a hug when you're traded? An embrace between Minnesota Twins reliever Jhoan Duran and bullpen catcher Frank Nigro caused quite a stir Tuesday night as Duran's name has been bandied about in trade talks ahead of the July 31 deadline.
After cameras caught Duran and Nigro hugging and the reliever seemingly leaving the bullpen, social media immediately went into #HugWatch mode as fans of playoff contenders were hoping the right-handed pitcher would be coming their way.
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However, as ESPN's Jeff Passan points out, it was just a hug between friends.
"Jhoan Duran has not been traded. He was just hugging his bullpen catcher because that's what friends do sometimes," Passan posted on X.
In fact, The Athletic's Twins writer Dan Hayes said that Duran hugged Nigro like he always does.
With the Twins in sell mode, Duran has been a popular name circulating in trade talks. The 27-year-old, whose fastball velocity leads all of baseball at 100.2 mph, has a 2.01 ERA in 49 appearances with 16 saves and 53 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings. He is also under control through 2027, so if Minnesota ends up moving him, they would get a significant return.
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