These 4 Phenom Prospects Could Convince the Twins to Trade Joe Ryan

[Matthew Taylor]

Image courtesy of © Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

If the Minnesota Twins trade Joe Ryan at this year’s deadline, it better be for a deal that makes them truly stop in their tracks. Ryan is the type of player small and mid-market teams try to build around: a young, durable, strike-throwing All-Star with 2.5 years of team control and the demeanor to pitch at the top of a rotation. Reports have suggested the Twins are not actively shopping him, and they shouldn’t be. But if a contender is desperate enough, and the Twins are offered a truly game-changing return, the front office at least owes it to themselves to listen. This piece isn't advocating for a Ryan trade, but it does explore what "blown away" would look like. And it starts with a package headlined by a global Top 25 prospect. These are the caliber of names that would make the Twins have to think long and hard about giving up their prized young ace.

Leo De Vries, San Diego Padres, SS
Prospect Rankings:
MLB Pipeline: #3
Baseball America: #6
The Athletic: #13

Leo De Vries is one of the fastest-rising stars in the minor leagues. The switch-hitting shortstop was the top international prospect in the 2024 class and has already made it to High-A ball at just 18 years old. His profile is loaded: elite swing speed, premium exit velocities, speed on the basepaths, and the kind of glove and arm combo that should stick at shortstop long-term. It’s not hard to imagine him becoming the number one prospect in baseball within the next year or two.

It would take a haul to pry him away from the Padres, but for a player like Joe Ryan, who is not only under control through 2026 but could start Game 1 of a playoff series, San Diego could be tempted. A.J. Preller has a well-documented history of going all in at the deadline, flipping top prospects like James Wood and CJ Abrams in the Juan Soto trade. Now sitting in a hyper-competitive NL West and watching the Dodgers stumble with injuries, this could be the moment Preller again pushes all his chips to the center of the table.

Jesús Made, Milwaukee Brewers, SS/3B
Prospect Rankings:
MLB Pipeline: #7
Baseball America: #4
The Athletic: #5

Another young infielder with top-of-the-scale upside, Jesús Made might be the type of player who makes the Twins pause and consider a Ryan trade. The switch-hitting Dominican burst onto the scene as a Dominican Summer League All-Star, slashing .331/.458/.554 with six homers, 28 steals, and an absurd 28-to-39 strikeout-to-walk ratio in just 51 games. Evaluators rave about his plate discipline and underlying metrics, and even if he doesn’t stick at shortstop, his bat could make him an elite third baseman with future number one overall prospect potential.

The Brewers are white-hot, winning 13 of their last 15 and currently boasting the best record in the majors. They already have the top ERA in the National League, but adding Joe Ryan could give them a playoff rotation that few teams can match.

Bryce Eldridge, San Francisco Giants, OF
Prospect Rankings:
MLB Pipeline: #17
Baseball America: #22
The Athletic: #28

Bryce Eldridge, the 16th overall pick in the 2023 draft, is the type of slugger you dream on. At 6-foot-7 with top-of-the-scale raw power, Eldridge moved from Single-A to Triple-A as a 19-year-old in his first full professional season. His left-handed swing is quick and powerful, and he generates elite exit velocities that have some projecting him as a 35 to 45 homer bat in the majors. While his glove doesn’t stand out and he’s unlikely to be a defensive asset, his bat alone makes him a high-ceiling player.

The Giants are firmly in the playoff race at 54–49 and in need of rotation help behind Logan Webb and a rehabbing Robbie Ray. They’ve shown they’re willing to make impact moves at the deadline when the time is right. San Francisco has proven they’re willing to be bold, swinging a huge deal for Rafael Devers earlier this season. They’ve sent a clear message: they’re going for it in 2025.

Josue De Paula, Los Angeles Dodgers, OF
Prospect Rankings:
MLB Pipeline: #22
Baseball America: #21
The Athletic: #17

Josue De Paula offers a tantalizing mix of youth, power, and plate discipline. The 19-year-old left-handed hitter slashed .268/.404/.405 with 10 homers across two Class A levels last season. He controls the strike zone extremely well and has the ability to make hard contact to all fields. He’s already projected to develop 30-plus homer power and likely profiles as a corner outfielder in the long run. Scouts love his polish and projectability.

The Dodgers have lost 11 of their last 15 games and are dealing with injuries across their pitching staff. Still, with the second-highest payroll in baseball and championship expectations, they are always a threat to make a splash. Pairing Joe Ryan with Yoshinobu Yamamoto would give Los Angeles a formidable top of the rotation while also serving as a hedge against health questions surrounding Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow. De Paula is one of their crown jewels, but the Dodgers have moved top names in the past when the stakes were high enough.

What do you think? Would you be willing to trade Joe Ryan if a Top 25 global prospect is coming back? Or should the Twins keep their ace no matter the offer? Which of the above names is most intriguing to you? Let us know in the comments.

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[Thebigalguy]

Nope. Keep Ryan. 

[Rod Carews Birthday]

These are fine prospects,  They could be the beginning of a package, but I would want much, much more for Ryan.  Three out of four are also miles away from the majors. Unless we are willing to write off the next couple of years, we need some of this bounty to be ready to contribute next year. Not in 2028.  

[Guest]

Meehhhhhhh,,,,

[TL]

In general if they get blown away with an offer they need to consider it. A top 3 overall prospect? Hard to pass up. Once you get past the top 5 overall prospects it would take more for me and would need to include a pitcher. Tong (P), Jett Williams (SS), Benge (OF) from the Mets and we also throw in Columbe? An overpay from Mets but Cohen doesn’t seem to care. 

[Cory Engelhardt]

I don’t know how they would get each of these prospects for Ryan. That transaction would be crazy 

[Gamblerssoftball]

We have fallen out of contention for '25. That doesn't mean we should write off '26 and beyond! Keep Ryan as part of a very solid pitching staff so the new ownership has a solid base to start with. That is, if a new owner is actually on the horizon. 

Keep the pitching and add offense. 

[Brett]

I saw Happy Gilmore 2 last night, which has added a number of colorful expressions to my already expansive list when I play golf.

Don’t make me use them on my beloved Twins. No means no.

[AceWrigley]

9 minutes ago, Brett said:

I saw Happy Gilmore 2 last night, which has added a number of colorful expressions to my already expansive list when I play golf.

Don’t make me use them on my beloved Twins. No means no.

You can't have too many colorful expressions when out on the links.

[DasBat]

Like others have said, it should take more than one really good prospect.  I need three for sure.  Prefer Some that aren’t far away, one of which would need to be a pitcher

[Blyleven2011]

If we trade anybody with 2 1/2 years of control we need players in return that can strengthen our team immediately  , that are major league ready or have some ML experience  ...

If dodgers are desperate to defend their world series title of 2024 , it wouldn't hurt to ask for Pages and a few other near ready prospects  , you can't trade part of your core pitchers unless you are strengthening your team for 2026 , it's called re-tooling ,  adding prospects in a trade that need more years developing in the minor leagues and can't help in 2026 would be considered re-building  ....

If we're trading any of Ryan,  Duran or Jax  , they better get it right , pitching is the most coveted position to strengthen a contenders chance at a playoff bid at the deadline  ...

I don't know if the front office will make any trades but it's been reported that teams are inquiring  so this is my response  ...

[Maybebaby]

No, no, no prospects are just that, prospects!  Ryan is a proven commodity build around that.  PS the Twins currently have a half a dozen current hitters on the team hovering around .200 that were once prospects.  Nuff said!

[Mike Sixel]

I'm not in favor of trading Ryan. But I'd want one high end pitcher, one high end hitter, and two more good prospects back. The high end hitter would need to be in AA or AAA and ready next year. They'd be foolish to deal him now, at least wait until the off-season when there are more bidders.  even then......

[Brandon27]

They are not going to trade joe ryan 

[rdehring]

No, no and no!

How many great prospects are playing for the Twins today?  Several, and very few of them are doing anything close to what they get from Ryan every five days.

Didn't see Ryan's start last night.  Curious if all this talk about the trading deadline had an effect on his performance?

[Beast]

It’s clear that they’re not going to invest enough going forward to make this current collection a competitive roster, unless there’s a new ownership group (maybe).  Also, looking at the roster, it’s riddled with guys who are high injury risk at their “core” (Lewis, Buxton, Correa, Ober, Lopez).  I’m sorry, but it’s over with this group.

They can’t sit in the middle here.  Especially with the Tigers popping up the way they have.  I’m not interested in battling the Guardians and Royals for 2nd/3rd in the division, but outside of the Wild Card, for the next 2-3 years and still end up watching a guy like Ryan walk with nothing to show.  They have to start the rebuild and maximize the value some assets.

The only hope at being even remotely competitive (in terms of a Pennant/World Series, I don’t care about just making the playoffs to get easily bounced), is to absolutely load up the farm system while they have the chance.  If they played this right, they could have an epic group of prospects.

What could they possibly see that lands them at a conclusion to run it back?  They’ve already killed fan morale, interest, and attendance.  There’s nothing to hang onto here, except for their own jobs.  

There really is no choice here.  I commend them for tepidly going for it for a couple years (the aggression with the Correa contract was a good shot, as was the Pablo trade, but not quite active enough at the deadline to really get there).  But, they also have to have the stones to pull the plug.  If we don’t trust that they make good trades and identify successful prospects, we have the wrong people in place to run a team that sets a tight budget.  Likewise, if they’re making decisions that maximizes their own career vs. what is best for the franchise, we have the wrong people in place.

Do the right thing.  It pains me to say that.  I didn’t want to go back to Rays, As, and Royals model of long drawn-out rebuilds for short fleeting pop-ups.  But, they’ve boxed themselves into that corner by slashing the budget and not drafting particularly well (they more than cornered the market on replacement level college hitters).

[jorgenswest]

Eldridge has a 33.3% strike out rate in AAA with an 84 wRC+. He isn’t close to ready. Made hasn’t hit high A yet. High risk. De Vries has hit high A but has yet to put up offensive numbers beyond slightly above league average. DePaula is in high A but his defense at corner outfield is going to be shaky.

All of these players have too much uncertainty. Three have upside given their age but my guess is only one of these is an all star level major leaguer and for three of them that is probably 5 years away.

Let’s wait a year. 

[Beast]

15 minutes ago, rdehring said:

No, no and no!

How many great prospects are playing for the Twins today?  Several, and very few of them are doing anything close to what they get from Ryan every five days.

Didn't see Ryan's start last night.  Curious if all this talk about the trading deadline had an effect on his performance?

I would’ve agreed with you in the recent past.  But, if they’ve hit their budget ceiling and won’t supplement the roster externally until the Correa and Lopez contracts run their course, they need to roll the dice on a rebuild, IMO.

The current roster is over cooked, and I don’t see anyone in the farm system ready to step in and be a high end player next year.  Jenkins, Rodriguez, Culpepper, etc. might be good players 2-3 years from now, just in time for guys like Ryan to leave via free agency, and 2-3 years more age on Buxton and Correa.  There aren’t any difference makers coming in the rotation likely longer than that (Hill, Soto, etc. - Preilipp and Rays seem destined for the bullpen).

Sitting on this roster for another year or two most likely ends with a decade of mediocrity, at best.

[tony&rodney]

4 minutes ago, Beast said:

Sitting on this roster for another year or two most likely ends with a decade of mediocrity, at best.

This. Worth noting that weak evaluations of players after the 2023 and 2024 seasons (sitting on the roster) was a mistake. Who knew? Plenty of us called for trading players who had performed well but didn't have the base to succeed long term. Fair to counter that perhaps no teams were interested in any Twins. Are other teams interested now?

[Maybe Next Year]

Oh boy! Sounds like a great deal!  Let’s trade an All Star starting pitcher for phenom prospects. You mean like phenoms  Miguel Sano, Todd Van Poppel, Josh Hamilton, Adam Johnson, Scott Kingery, etc..etc…etc…. Sorry, but prospects no matter what their label are just that, prospects.

[thelanges5]

Seems like they’ve been able to develop pitching talent, but not hitting talent. If they traded for hitters, I’d want them to be closer to MLB ready.

Also, don’t trade Joe Ryan, extend Joe Ryan,

[gman]

When Clemens is your cleanup hitter, you're not a team contending for anything. It looks like Joe Ryan will be closing in on 32 before Twins contend for anything. I wouldn't force a trade this week, but I would be open to getting bowled over by one. Maybe Joe was called by a friend yesterday about moving to Southern California an area he is from.

[Doctor Gast]

De Vries is too far away, MIL will never trade Jesus Made, LAD isn't going to make a big splash & OF is our strongest & deepest position for years. Why keep bloating our system with redundant prospects? Falvey has wasted 2 years. of our open window, Why keep kicking the can down the road with redundant prospects?  We are fragile at catching & SPs (even more if we trade Ryan). IMO, our best chance to get anywhere is with this core. The core isn't the problem; it's Falvey & Co. How about if we trade our management for MIL's? If we have the chance to switch out our management next season, we have to try to keep our core together.

[sthpstm]

Don't trade John Santana...until you're forced to

Don't trade Liriano...until he has an injury history and performing poorly

Don't trade Jose Berrios...until you're forced to.

Yes, trade Joe Ryan (and at least of Duran/Jax). Joe is a good pitcher but this is likely peak Ryan. No, I don't think others will give up a package as if he's a top 10 starter and perennial All Star. But the return will be solid and with 2+ seasons of control we've seen teams who may be a year away be the highest bidder. 

This core is not it. The Twins squandered the last few years not reinforcing or spending money. It's time to accept that and hit a reset towards '27 or '28. The Twins are bleeding fans; mediocrity will not get us to return. Stock up WHEN YOU CAN and hope the new ownership group and front office will make wiser decisions when the next window opens.

[terrydactyls]

To me, these players might be important in trade talks if the Twins and whomever are sort of close to making a deal for Ryan but aren't quite there.  For example, if the Twins and Giants are close to a deal but the Twins are hesitating, the Giants would offer to add Bryce Eldrich to the deal if the Twins throw in Danny Coulombe (or any other expiring contract such as Bader or Paddock).

[twinstalker]

Made and De Vries are potential superstars, and their probability of getting there is reasonably high.

 

De Paula and Eldridge are good/great prospects (I'm not a big De Paula fan), but you wouldn't trade Ryan for them.  Eldridge would be great with something major added.  I wouldn't consider De Paula one of the Dodgers I'd want (Quintero, Hope, et al), but that's not to say he couldn't be better than some of them.

[Doc Lenz]

Russian propaganda 

[Lasorda_This_Out]

Only if we get Leo De Vries, Jesus Made, Bryce Eldredge and Josue De Paula in return for Joe Ryan.

Otherwise, nope.

[sweetmusicviola16]

If you're going to sell on Ryan, now through this next off season is the time to do it. When will Ryan ever be worth what he is now? Never. But with that said the return must be significant. As for the players listed, yes they'd be a significant piece. But what else do each of these teams have that would meet the needed price for a possible CY Young SP? imo unless we are going to make the moves to get better in 2026 you don't sit on a Ryan. You capitalize on him. All I've heard on here for two years and from the org is how great our pitching pipeline is. Is that true or not? If you're not building to be a true contender then you don't need Ryan. Whether you win 77 games or 69 makes no difference. Play your cards right and you can turn Ryan into the pieces that make you a real contender in 2028 and beyond. The present team even with Ryan is not a contender. Not even close.

[Trov]

The kid from the Padres would get me thinking.  The others they would have to throw a lot more in than just them.  There are 3 questions for the Twins to answer before looking to move Ryan this year. First, can you resign him at a contract you are happy with, my guess is most likely no.  He will be seeking a much longer contract than Twins like to give.  I think he can age well because he does not rely on velo, but location and spin.  If he loses his spin though he will regress real quickly. 

Two, how much of a push will the Twins make in offseason to try to win next year?  You cannot trade your best or second best pitcher without a plan if you are going to try to win next year.  

Third, how much can you get in return for him next year at deadline if needed?  Of course that depends a ton on his health and performance next year.  However, assuming he does what you hope he does, how much different is his value this year versus next year?  Now that depends a ton on who is competing next year and their needs, but everyone needs starting pitching.  

So if the Padres come a calling and offer their top guy, it may make some sense to listen.  The rest do not seem elite enough to pry Ryan away this year.