Morosi: Minnesota Twins Starting Pitcher Joe Ryan Being Monitored "By A Number Of Teams"

[Matthew Lenz]

It can be pretty well assumed that the Minnesota Twins will not be buyers at the trade deadline, though the jury is still out on whether they will be sellers. Moreover, if they are sellers, will they be looking to retool for 2026 or enter a larger, multi year rebuild?

If they are looking at more of a rebuild, then I would think any non-pre-arbitration player could be up for grabs. Jon Morosi of MLB Network is reporting that Joe Ryan is being monitored "by a number of teams."

Ryan, 29, is having an impressive 2025 season. Through 18 games (17 starts), he boasts a strong 2.76 ERA over 104.1 innings pitched. His FIP stands at 3.25, suggesting his excellent ERA is well-supported by his underlying metrics. Ryan has maintained a high strikeout rate with 116 strikeouts against just 21 walks, resulting in an excellent strikeout-minus-wall rate of 23.4% He's consistently limited walks, contributing to a stellar 0.89 WHIP - third best in all of baseball. Despite all of that, he was not elected to the MLB All-Star game. He is controllable through the 2027 season.

What approach do you think the Twins should take at the upcoming trade deadline? Join the conversation in the comments!

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[Brock Beauchamp]

Will this site burn to the ground if they trade Ryan? 

[Fire Dan Gladden]

49 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Will this site burn to the ground if they trade Ryan? 

Barring what they get in return it probably should.

[The Great Hambino]

Let them monitor all they want.  Doesn't mean anything unless the Twins accept an offer.

I would hope they think they can be competitive again before 2028.  Trading Ryan only makes sense if they don't.

The group of players going into their Arb 2 year next year (Ryan, Ober, Duran, Jax, Larnach, Stewart, Lewis [super 2]) currently makes roughly $17.6MM, and that number is going to get bigger with built-in raises over the next two years.  So this is a group where it might make sense to do some proactive future budgeting if you can find the right deal.  But not Ryan.  He can be a true core piece of a contender.  If they do trade him, they might as well send off all of them and burn it down

 

[jmlease1]

1 hour ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Will this site burn to the ground if they trade Ryan? 

I'd be furious, even if we got a big haul...because the haul is almost certainly going to be prospects that are 2-4 years away. Which means plenty of time for things to go sideways and no guarantees. I want Ryan extended, not traded.

I also always feel like a lot of the teams they speculate on being interested in a player like Ryan expect to overhype their prospects they send back and get our best players for a bag of magic beans.

I also feel like with the ownership situation in flux that making a Ryan move is...difficult. And frankly, it's one you make if you're really tearing things down, so Duran and/or Jax would need to go to, along with a bunch of other guys. Does that make sense when we don't know who owns the club next season

[Vanimal46]

If they’re seriously open to shopping around Joe Ryan, I think we have our answer if Joe is willing to sign an extension here. 

This is the last person I trust Falvey and Zoll with getting the best return. I’m open to the discussion when we have new leadership in place. 

[Rod Carews Birthday]

It makes a ton of sense that other contending teams would be looking at Joe Ryan.  They would be fools not to do that.  
 

On the other hand, the Twins would be equally foolish to trade him.  That’s a burn it all down move and that’s a fan’s nightmare for two or three years with no guarantee of progress after that.  

[Vanimal46]

.

Whoops 

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Hopefully the Twins soon have an ownership group that will commit to keeping talent like Joe Ryan rather than trading it.

[Chris Hove]

Did anyone watch Warehouse Games on Fanduel Network? Plouffe was in it and he could definitely swing the bat, although it's whiffle ball. 

[Mike Sixel]

Painter and two more good prospects from Philly and you consider it. But I can't see any other idea that makes any sense. 

[tony&rodney]

Joe Ryan has value and the talk would need to be guys like Jackson Holliday, Nick Kurtz, and that type. Pitchers are incredibly unpredictable but guys like Ryan seem to have the types of arms that are good for several years, which is hard to find. 

The last couple of games versus a very good Cubs offense gives fans a glimpse of how Woods Richardson, Festa, and Matthews can be important pitchers now and going forward. The injuries to Lopez, Matthews, and Ober tell us that pitching is tough to accumulate.

After watching Kaelen Culpepper this summer, I'm wondering whether the Twins could elevate him in the practice of the LA Angels, calling up college draftees who look mature and capable of taking care of themselves.

[dxpavelka]

12 hours ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

Barring what they get in return it probably should.

The return had better be more than when we traded Nelson Cruz.

[Ghost of Kirby Puckett]

7 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

Painter and two more good prospects from Philly and you consider it. But I can't see any other idea that makes any sense. 

You could maybe get that deal for Buxton, according to ESPN, since Philly is pretty set with their pitching staff. I've read reports that have suggested Painter and Crawford for Buck. I love Buck. Truly. But if he can snag Painter, done deal. That's a potential ace. Absolute no brainier if Mr.Glass 2.0 (EmRod) could stay healthy and take his spot rn.

[LewFordLives]

When you have good, young, controllable pitching, you cling to it with every ounce of your being.

Of course people will spread rumors, but I can't imagine any trade package that would be advantageous to the Twins.  Of course, I thought it made zero sense to trade Berrios.

[RpR]

2 minutes ago, LewFordLives said:

When you have good, young, controllable pitching, you cling to it with every ounce of your being.

Of course people will spread rumors, but I can't imagine any trade package that would be advantageous to the Twins.  Of course, I thought it made zero sense to trade Berrios.

💖💖💖

[notoriousgod71]

9 hours ago, LewFordLives said:

I thought it made zero sense to trade Berrios.

And it still doesn't.

[MMMordabito]

On 7/9/2025 at 12:20 PM, jmlease1 said:

I want Ryan extended, not traded.

[jmlease1]

16 hours ago, notoriousgod71 said:

And it still doesn't.

Unless the team was unwilling to give the kind of contract he signed with Toronto and he was clear that was the only possible way he would ever consider re-signing with the team. We don't know and we'll probably never know, but it seems likely that was a real factor.

The Berrios deal shows the risk of dealing a proven starting pitcher for prospects in that you very well might not get the same value back. But at the same time, Berrios has underwhelmed in Toronto. He was awful in his first full season (2022) and until the first half of this season has looked more like a solid 3rd or 4th starter than someone who you were excited to start a playoff game. In fact, SWR hasn't been that far below Berrios' production the last 1 1/2 seasons. Since Berrios left MN, Bailey Ober has been a better pitcher than Berrios, even when you include the rotten 2025 Ober is having.

While I think the Twins would have liked to have seen more from Austin Martin (though he's looking like he may have figured some things out), I'm not sure they have much regret in dealing Berrios, considering what SWR has done, what Martin might still do, and the money they were then able to then spend on Pablo. I think they would have significantly more regret in trading Ryan, who is having a better season this year than Berrios has ever had in his entire career.

[weitz41]

If and only if he and his rep say we are not doing an extension and are focused on free agency in 2 1/2 years, would I consider shopping Ryan. Even then I may hold onto him until next year's trade deadline. That being said, if a team made an overwhelming offer like say the Cubs offered Ballestros, Alcantra, Horton and a lottery ticket or two. That'd be tough to pass on. An offer like that you'd have to think hard about.

[IndianaTwin]

On 7/9/2025 at 1:07 PM, The Great Hambino said:

Let them monitor all they want.  Doesn't mean anything unless the Twins accept an offer.

I would hope they think they can be competitive again before 2028.  Trading Ryan only makes sense if they don't.

The group of players going into their Arb 2 year next year (Ryan, Ober, Duran, Jax, Larnach, Stewart, Lewis [super 2]) currently makes roughly $17.6MM, and that number is going to get bigger with built-in raises over the next two years.  So this is a group where it might make sense to do some proactive future budgeting if you can find the right deal.  But not Ryan.  He can be a true core piece of a contender.  If they do trade him, they might as well send off all of them and burn it down

 

Add Clemens and Sands as Arb 1.

But Paddack, Vazquez, Castro and Coulombe take nearly $27MM off the books. Correa gets a $5MM pay cut. Bader has a $10MM mutual option, but those are rarely exercised. Topa has a $2MM team option. That’s not much, but at this point, I’m not sure that he’s earned having it picked up. 

[TopGunn#22]

Those are good counter points Indiana Twin.  Yes, there will be arbitration increases, but also some money coming OFF the books as well.  And some of that money could come off sooner if trades happen at the deadline.

The Twins wouldn't necessarily be only getting players 2-4 years away from the major leagues.  That may be true if the players traded were Castro, Bader, Paddack and Coulombe.  But the hot rumor right now if Ryan was traded to the Red Sox is that it would bring All Star Jarren Duran back.  With his 2025 not quite as awesome as his 2024 to this point, I think the Red Sox would need to come up with more than just Jarren Duran to get Ryan.  The Red Sox have a BIG logjam of outfielders with young talent like Anthony and Abreu, along with Ceddane Rafaela.  Something has to give.  I wonder what additional players could be included in a Ryan deal along with Jarren Duran.

If the Twins made Jhoan Duran available I think they could get catcher Dalton Rushing from the Dodgers.  Throw in Willi Castro and the Twins could get quite a haul from L.A.  The Twins seem to be on a bit of a roll as we cruise into the All Star game.  But the trade deadline offers an opportunity to re-tool the roster and still contend.  

Even if the return for Buxton was a possible major league Ace in Andrew Painter and a CF rerplacement like Crawford from the Phillies, I just can't see any possibility of a Buxton trade.  If Byron can somehow replicate Paul Molitor's better health in his 30's than in his 20's and you factor in the team friendly contract Buxton is one, there's just no way a FO with any brains at all would even consider trading him.