How the Twins and the Orioles Can Match Up On a Joe Ryan Trade

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

MLB’s trade deadline may be months away, but unique circumstances could push teams to be active earlier rather than later. The Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles present a tantalizing potential trade match-up. Flush with offensive talent in its farm system, Baltimore could use a front-line arm to stabilize its rotation. Minnesota is deep in MLB-caliber pitchers and could bolster its offense or restock its high-leverage farm ranks. Both teams were expected to be in contention this season, and disappointing starts could mean the teams are looking to make an early splash. 

Jim Bowden, a former GM and writer for The Athletic, recently wrote about five potential trades he’d like to see this month. In the piece, he floated a package featuring LHP Cade Povich, corner infielder Coby Mayo, and RHP prospect Michael Forret to the Twins for RHP Joe Ryan. However, the Twins may covet different pieces, targeting higher-upside talent for the deal to make more sense for Minnesota.

Joe Ryan’s All-Star Potential
Ryan has delivered ace-like numbers through early May, with Twins Daily naming him the team’s top pitcher for the month. Over seven starts, Ryan is 2–2 with a 2.93 ERA, 47 strikeouts in 40 innings, and a 0.90 WHIP. His four-seamer and sweeper have combined to hold opponents to sub-.200 batting averages, and he has a career-best 3.2 BB%. Ryan is under club control through 2027, a critical component for an Orioles squad that was supposed to be in the middle of a winning window. Given Baltimore’s offseason departure of Corbin Burnes and setbacks to former top prospect Grayson Rodríguez, Ryan represents a plug-and-play rotation upgrade.

Baltimore’s Young Hitting Wealth
The Orioles boast one of the game’s most exciting hitting pipelines:

Coby Mayo (3B/1B): Baltimore’s No. 2 prospect, Mayo is a corner infielder who has already gotten some big-league experience. Entering the 2025 season, he had a .921 OPS during his minor league career. He currently ranks as the 11th overall in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100.

Samuel Basallo (C/1B): MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 Orioles farmhand Basallo turned 20 last year and hit 19 homers and 25 doubles en route to an appearance in the Futures Game. There are defensive questions, but his cannon of an arm might help him stick at catcher. MLB Pipeline ranks him as baseball’s 10th-best prospect. 

Enrique Bradfield Jr. (OF): A 2023 first-rounder, Bradfield’s game-changing speed (74 steals in 108 games last season) and strong contact skills make him a future everyday center fielder. He isn’t going to hit for a lot of power, so he must find other ways to get on base. Bradfield’s skillset is intriguing, so he could be tough to pry away from the Orioles. 

Beyond these headliners, the system houses tools-driven outfielders like Vance Honeycutt and Dylan Beavers, plus righty arms in Chayce McDermott, Michael Forret, and Nestor German. Together, these players form a deep, diverse pool of tradable assets.

Twins’ Rotation and Prospect Depth
Minnesota already fields a capable rotation with Pablo López and Bailey Ober at the top. Their farm system seems to have started churning out arms, with players like David Festa, Simeon Woods Richardson, and Zebby Matthews already impacting the big-league rotation. Other arms, like Marco Raya, Andrew Morris, and Connor Prielipp, are close to the big leagues. With such depth, the Twins could afford to part with Ryan if they receive blue-chip hitting talent in return.

Bowden’s Povich-Mayo-Forret Proposal

Jim Bowden’s Athletic column suggested a package of:

Cade Povich (LHP): A former Twins draftee who has pitched the last two seasons in Baltimore’s rotation. Over the last two seasons, he has posted a 5.31 ERA with a 1.47 WHIP while being worth -0.8 WAR. The Twins pounced on him for five earned runs in six frames during his start earlier this week. 

Coby Mayo (1B/3B): The power corner-infielder is the team’s second-best prospect. From Minnesota’s perspective, he is intriguing because of his offensive potential and proximity to the big leagues. The Twins have struggled to develop hitting talent in recent years, and Mayo could be one piece that will help the team over the next decade. 

Michael Forret (RHP): MLB Pipeline ranks him as Baltimore’s eighth-best prospect, but he started this year at High-A. The Twins may like his potential upside, which could be one reason to target him. However, he likely wouldn’t impact the big league roster until 2027.  

While this haul addresses Ryan’s departure, Povich’s middling upside makes it challenging for the Twins to want him included in a deal. The club likely prefers its internal options over Povich, so let’s see what other trade options are available in Baltimore’s system. 

A More Enticing Alternative: Basallo as the Headliner
Instead, the Twins should insist on as the cornerstone, because his combination of 70-grade power, advanced receiving skills, and athleticism would fill multiple needs. With Christian Vázquez on an expiring deal, Basallo could impact the team’s roster as soon as 2026. The Orioles also have Adley Rutschman as the team’s long-term catching option, so they may be willing to part with Basallo, who would remain under team control deep into the next decade.

Pairing Basallo with a secondary option like Forret or Bradfield Jr. could create a win-win. Baltimore leaves with a bona fide ace. Minnesota flips Ryan for a cornerstone catcher and more organizational depth.

Baltimore’s plethora of hitting prospects matches perfectly with Minnesota’s pitching stockpile. While Bowden’s initial framework offers a solid starting point, the Twins should leverage their negotiating power to extract higher-ceiling talent in exchange for Ryan. Starting pitching comes at a premium, and MLB trades have played out that way in recent years. Both sides could craft a blockbuster at this stage that reshapes each franchise’s fortunes well beyond July’s trade deadline.

What type of deal makes sense for the Twins and the Orioles? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

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[Doctor Wu]

Why on earth would the Twins want to trade Joe Ryan? A trade proposal like this one doesn't make much sense to me. 

[thelanges5]

Bowden’s article was/is click bait. It’s his job to write articles that get people to read and comment. That being said most of the trades proposed involving large and small market teams tend to favor the larger market. I don’t like the idea of the Twins trading Ryan, Lopez, or Ober. If they did it would have to address a current need and make them better or neutral, not worse. 
 

Ride Paddack to the deadline and flip him for some prospect. Thats more realistic but not as flashy as dropping Joe Ryan into your article. 

[Patzky]

11 minutes ago, Doctor Wu said:

Why on earth would the Twins want to trade Joe Ryan? A trade proposal like this one doesn't make much sense to me. 

Agreed. Yes the catcher bugaboo is going to bite soon (one could always resign Vazquez if all else fails) but Ryan is probably the last person in the team I'd trade away. 

Duran-SWR? Varland-Paddack-Coluombe?

[DaveW44]

Don’t trade Joe Ryan. 
but not they do, the haul needs to be a lot better than what was suggested in the article in the Athletuc. Joe Ryan is a stud. 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Please Twins, do not trade Joe Ryan. for prospects. The front office would be living on "Some Day Isle".  "Some day I'll get to go to a Twins World Series". "Some day the Twins will win, just not this season." The trio of Lopez, Ryan and Ober is outstanding. The cost is too high for the Twins. It would send a negative message to the players, staff and the fans. It would say: "The current roster, which I, the Front Office, have put together, isn't good enough...therefore sell." How would the players who are going to play today react to that trade? No too well, I imagine. Carpe Diem. 

[dxpavelka]

Stop trying to headline this **** into happening. 

[Cory Engelhardt]

I do think Basallo would be a good starting point. Interesting thought exercise.

However, are the Orioles really going to be in a place to add high end pitching? Their record and being in the AL east, even with their lineup, makes me think they will be wary of trading for pitching this season. Could be wrong.

[Jack207]

No way should the Twins trade Joe Ryan!

[SarasotaBill]

Never trade an elite young starting pitcher with multiple years left before free agency. Remember trading Garza to the Rays and feeling sick to your stomach for the next four years.

[MGX]

The Twins have struggled to start the year & yet we're 4 games better than the O's in the standings. If these two teams match up on a trade it should be the Twins sending a prospect for someone who can help at the MLB level. Trading Joe Ryan for a prospect(s) makes no sense. 

[Mark G]

I read Bowden's article yesterday and came away from it with a small yawn.  Wasn't interested.  But if we could get a young catcher that will be with us for several years, and can hit, I wonder if Baltimore would be willing to eat a contract and take Lopez instead.  Ryan, Ober, and all the pitchers we have coming up would give a good test to the vaunted pitching pipeline the FO is so proud of and free up a bit of cash to shore up the lineup.  

But not until we know more about our chances to get to the post season.  

[gmwannabe]

I believe that Pablo to the Dodgers for Rushing is more likely than Ryan for Basilla.

[whitsbrain]

Well, it got me to click.  Mission accomplished.

[JD-TWINS]

26 minutes ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

I do think Basallo would be a good starting point. Interesting thought exercise.

However, are the Orioles really going to be in a place to add high end pitching? Their record and being in the AL east, even with their lineup, makes me think they will be wary of trading for pitching this season. Could be wrong.

Ryan would be a nice piece after ‘25 for the O’s - not trading for Joe to save ‘25. Can’t imagine Twins considering trading “The Experience” until they get to his last season of team control…..certainly not for an ineffective starter - a High A pitcher & potentially another Brooks Lee “highly rated” type in Mayo.

[AceWrigley]

P-f-f-f-f-f-t.

[chinmusic]

16 minutes ago, whitsbrain said:

Well, it got me to click.  Mission accomplished.

Me as well. 

But it's Friday, and I approached it as I would a Randballs Stu headline. Go Twins!

[ryanking61]

No thank you! 

[Otaknam]

The only reason to trade Ryan, Ober, or Lopez is if the team bottoms out and they decide to rebuild. Even then they’d have to get a haul in a trade. These three starters are the foundation for a strong rotation of a playoff team, which this team will be if the offense starts producing more consistently.

[Cory Engelhardt]

36 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

Ryan would be a nice piece after ‘25 for the O’s - not trading for Joe to save ‘25. Can’t imagine Twins considering trading “The Experience” until they get to his last season of team control…..certainly not for an ineffective starter - a High A pitcher & potentially another Brooks Lee “highly rated” type in Mayo.

Yeah the Bowden trade would not be worth it at all.

[Cory Engelhardt]

Just now, Otaknam said:

The only reason to trade Ryan, Ober, or Lopez is if the team bottoms out and they decide to rebuild. Even then they’d have to get a haul in a trade. These three starters are the foundation for a strong rotation of a playoff team, which this team will be if the offense starts producing more consistently.

Or, if they believe Zebby or Festa are ready to be in the top 3, then you could arguably trade someone for what they deem a HAUL right? I think of it more as opportunistic compared to having to sell off. 
For 25 though I have to think the Cubs would be a team that would make more sense than Baltimore though 

[IndianaTwin]

Also, Basallo has been hurt and hasn't caught yet this year. 

[EGFTShaw]

1 hour ago, Doctor Wu said:

Why on earth would the Twins want to trade Joe Ryan? A trade proposal like this one doesn't make much sense to me. 

That's the reason Bowden is no longer a GM.

He states that Ryan as No1 potential and we get back essentially a bucket of baseballs.

Whenever I DO read a Bowden article I inevitably give it a Thumbs Down rating.  

I want to give it a Dumbs Down rating but it's not an option

[Hawkeye Bean Counter]

Ok,  so we are discussing a top 30 pitcher in Baseball who has a little less than 3 years of control left.  First off, why do you trade when you have a fairly stacked team.  Secondly,  pitching is the most costly asset in baseball.  We have been trading away assets to finally have a strong pitching group and this is now trading it away.  

I think it is still the mantra this is a fire sale season and they don't realize we are only 2 games below .500.  The deal is extremely poor value. The head liner is 1st/3rd baseman -the cheapest asset to acquire in baseball.  

The value is way off,  the timing is way off and overall doesn't make much sense.  

[Omardog]

Is it a slow news day to the point you have to post a nonsense piece like this?  Better a profile of the assistant equipment manager than a rubbish suggestion that Joe Ryan be traded.  Good grief....

[bean5302]

Baseballtradevalues recently:
Joe Ryan +68
Pablo Lopez +47
Bailey Ober +54
Simeon Woods Richardson +20
Chris Paddack -2

I'd prefer trading Ober as I don't think he's going to age as well as Ryan, but the Twins' rotational depth isn't nearly as strong as people seem to think. Matthews has dropped velo and is struggling recently. Raya needs to be moved to the 'pen. There rest of the AAA rotation is just not good enough to be in an MLB rotation.

As far as the Orioles go, they're hosed already. 7.5 games back from the division and only a 7.2% playoff chance. They're 10 games under .500. One starter isn't going to fix that. Bradish is 2nd half at the earliest and Rodriguez isn't coming back any time soon since he's on the 60 day IL.

[bean5302]

9 minutes ago, Hawkeye Bean Counter said:

Ok,  so we are discussing a top 30 pitcher in Baseball who has a little less than 3 years of control left.  First off, why do you trade when you have a fairly stacked team.  Secondly,  pitching is the most costly asset in baseball.  We have been trading away assets to finally have a strong pitching group and this is now trading it away.  

I think it is still the mantra this is a fire sale season and they don't realize we are only 2 games below .500.  The deal is extremely poor value. The head liner is 1st/3rd baseman -the cheapest asset to acquire in baseball.  

The value is way off,  the timing is way off and overall doesn't make much sense.  

Top 30?? ROFL, this site...

[Finlander]

Never gonna happen. My first look at Mayo, 3 games ago against us, 0-3 with 3 Ks, and also two errors at 3B. No thanks. There will be hitters to get at the deadline.

[Fire Dan Gladden]

Stop.  Just stop.

There is no scenario where trading a young, cheap, all-star caliber SP for anything other than a haul makes sense.

As long as the Twins have a healthy big six (Lopez, Ryan, Ober, Buxton, Lewis, Correa) they will always have a punchers chance of competing. Any move involving one of those players needs to be considered long and hard.

[DJL44]

Paddack is the pitcher to trade this season. If the Orioles are the trade partner, I'd be okay with Paddack for Mountcastle. Mountcastle has had a bad season so far, but I don't think there is any reason to doubt his career numbers. He has an extra year of team control and Paddack is a free agent.