The Minnesota Twins are once again one of baseball’s weakest teams, and the trade chatter around Joe Ryan is back with it. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported that three of 20 polled MLB executives think Minnesota will move the All-Star right-hander before the deadline.
Ryan has given clubs a reason to keep asking. He has a 3.76 ERA in seven starts this season and a 118 ERA+, and he is under team control through the 2027 MLB season. That combination makes him one of the few Twins players who could bring back real value if Minnesota decides to sell.
The possibility is not new. Ryan was involved in trade rumors last year and again during the offseason, when one American League executive told Feinsand that he seemed like someone the Twins were considering moving. That same executive said Minnesota looks like it could be in a similar spot this year.
That reading fits the market. The Twins were already described as one of the worst teams in baseball this season, and they should likely act as sellers at the deadline. Feinsand said Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara drew the most votes among players executives believed could be on the move, with four, while Ryan was just behind him with three. In a market where comparable starters can fetch a hefty return, a trade involving Ryan would likely be measured against Minnesota’s Jhoan Duran deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The tension is that Ryan is not a spare piece. He is the kind of pitcher a rebuilding club usually tries to keep, not shop, especially with control through 2027. But Minnesota’s place in the standings may force a choice between holding a legitimate ace and using him to accelerate a reset that already looks underway.
