The Joe Ryan trade rumors will not go away. The Twins are nine games out of first place in the AL Central, the front office is signaling a willingness to sell, and Ryan is one of the most valuable trade chips in baseball. Atlanta and the Chicago Cubs have been most aggressively linked to the right hander.
This is the kind of trade that defines a deadline. Ryan is under team control through 2027. He is a legitimate front of the rotation starter when healthy. He is exactly the kind of player that contenders will line up for and that small market teams cannot really afford to keep. The Twins know it.
Ryan himself addressed the rumors honestly. He acknowledged the Braves and Cubs interest. He did not lobby to stay. He did not demand to be traded. He just kept it professional, which is what you want from a player whose name is in headlines for six weeks straight.
The Atlanta fit is logical. The Braves rotation has been ravaged by injuries this year. Spencer Strider has had setbacks. Reynaldo Lopez has been hurt. Chris Sale has dealt with issues. Charlie Morton is in the back half of his career. Atlanta needs a pitcher who can give them 30 starts and innings. Ryan is that guy. The Braves also have a deep farm system that could put a real package together.
The Cubs make even more sense. Chicago has been chasing the NL Central crown all year. They need pitching to break through. They have been linked to every available arm. Sandy Alcantara is the headliner. Ryan is the Plan B that might be more attainable depending on cost. The Cubs can offer high level prospects and have the financial flexibility to integrate Ryan’s salary.
The Twins are in a tough spot. They have spent the last few years trying to compete with a top heavy roster. The pitching has not held up. Carlos Correa is on a massive contract. Royce Lewis cannot stay healthy. Byron Buxton cannot stay healthy. The team has had moments but has not been able to put it all together.
Selling Ryan would be a signal that ownership is pulling back. The Pohlad family is reportedly trying to sell the team. New ownership might want a clean slate. Moving Ryan now, getting a haul of prospects, and rebooting the farm system would make the franchise more attractive to a buyer who wants to do their own rebuild.
The complicating factor is Ryan’s contract control. He is under team control through 2027. That means the Twins do not have to move him this summer. They could hold him through next season, see if they can put together a contender, and then make a decision next winter. The patience play has merit.
But the value will never be higher than right now. Ryan is having a strong season. The market for starting pitchers is at a premium. There are not enough good arms to go around. A bidding war for Ryan would push the asking price into elite territory.
If the Twins move Ryan, they probably also move other pieces. Pablo Lopez has been mentioned. Carlos Correa might be on the table. The whole roster could be in play. That is the difference between a soft sell and a fire sale. We will see which direction Minnesota goes.
For now, Ryan is on the block. The Braves and Cubs are circling. The Twins are listening. The deadline is six weeks away. Something is going to happen.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
