When the Philadelphia Phillies dealt away top prospect Mick Abel at the trade deadline, they were giving up on a young pitcher with a chance to be a genuine rotation piece in the big leagues. They were willing to include him in the swap with the Minnesota Twins for elite closer Jhoan Duran for two reasons. One, the Phillies desperately needed a shutdown bullpen arm. Two, they had waited out Abel's command issues long enough.
Abel made his debut with his new team on Saturday against the Chicago White Sox. Let's just say things didn't go well for the 24-year-old, who ranks as Minnesota's No.