Potential Trade Target Ideas

[Cory Engelhardt]

I came up with an idea to look for some players who MIGHT be available IF the Twins were to look to trade Joe Ryan this offseason. I know some people think he will be traded for certain, but I'm not at that point. I mostly wanted to look for players who AREN'T just prospects. Players who have shown production in MLB already. The Twins do have a strong minor league system according to many metrics right now. For example, there is a topic out there for an offer for Ryan to Boston that is basically ONLY prospects (Tolle, Garcia and Arias) where to me, if you are trading Ryan, you NEED to get back someone who will help immediately in 2026 and beyond. Jhostynxyn Garcia may become a good player in time, but right now I have a hard time penciling him WAY above both what Jenkins and Rodriguez could be, let alone others. 

I wanted to look for players who have already shown major league success, as well as would be pre-arb in 2026 or in their first arbitration year in 2026. The players listed here may or may not be available for trade, but it is the type of player I would need to headline a package IF the Twins are trading Ryan. 

To reiterate, I would be disappointed if the Twins traded Ryan and didn't get back immediate help for 2026 that you can write in pen.

I also focused solely on hitters for this list. And I primarily went with teams that I thought could make sense for a Joe Ryan trade. I did not include Seattle or the Dodgers on this list mostly because the type of offers they could give would be primarily ONLY prospect based. That's ok, but I wanted to focus on younger players who have already shown some sustained success.

Again, I'm not saying I would do 1 for 1 trade for any of these listed players. I also don't know that any of them for sure would be available. And I'm really saying I don't know that the Twins would trade Joe Ryan. But IF they were to trade Joe Ryan this offseason, this is the type of player I would need to get back in a package. How good they are would also determine how many prospects would be attached with them.

I used fangraphs for both the best WAR season the player has shown, and for their roster resource to show how much service time the player has accrued so far.

Let me know what you think. Thanks!

Boston	Age	Service Time	Position	Best OPS	Best WAR	B/T	2026 Salary
Wilyer Abreu	26.3	1.041	OF	0.804	3.1	L/L	Pre-Arb
Tristan Casas	25.7	2.032	1B	0.856	1.8	L/L	Arb 1
Mets
Mark Vientos	25.8	1.102	1B	0.837	2.9	R/R	Pre-Arb
Brett Baty	25.9	1.088	3B	0.74	2.1	L/R	Pre-Arb
Cubs
Michael Busch	27.9	1.045	1B	0.827	2.8	L/R	Pre-Arb
Giants
Patrick Bailey	26.3	1.136	C	0.644	4.3	S/R	Arb 1 Super 2
Heliot Ramos	26	1.103	OF	0.792	2.3	R/R	Arb 1 Super 2
Angels
Nolan Schanuel	23.6	1.045	1B	0.747	1.5	L/R	Pre-Arb
Zach Neto	24.6	1.17	SS	0.793	3.5	R/R	Arb 1 Super 2
Orioles
Jordan Westburg	26.6	1.098	3B	0.792	2.7	R/R	Pre-Arb
Colton Cowser	25.5	1.043	OF	0.768	3.8	L/R	Pre-Arb
Cardinals
Ivan Herrera	25.3	1.034	C	0.845	2.7	R/R	Pre-Arb
Alec Burleson	26.8	2.029	1B	0.81	2.1	L/L	Arb 1
Masyn Winn	23.5	1.045	SS	0.73	3.6		Pre-Arb

 

[nicksaviking]

The only name up there that had me saying yes is Zach Neto, But I also don't see the Angels trading their best player for Ryan.

[Cory Engelhardt]

3 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

The only name up there that had me saying yes is Zach Neto, But I also don't see the Angels trading their best player for Ryan.

What about any of the players plus prospect(s) as a package?

For example, let's say the Cubs offered Michael Busch plus a good prospect or two? I more meant that I don't want ONLY prospects back in a deal.

[nicksaviking]

21 minutes ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

What about any of the players plus prospect(s) as a package?

For example, let's say the Cubs offered Michael Busch plus a good prospect or two? I more meant that I don't want ONLY prospects back in a deal.

I absolutely am looking for actual offense and not projected offense if they're going the 'established' player route, but I struggle with Busch as I don't really want a 28 year old as the headliner for a rebuilding team. Also, I know the narrative on this site regarding defense, half the fans will be calling on him to DH by May.

I guess I'd have interest in Wilyer Abreu if they were to go that route. But I'd want a new manager then; can't bring in more young left handed corner bats that will automatically be disregard every third day.

Most of these guys look like prospects that have lost their sheen. The Twins already have a dozen of those. If they're trading Ryan, there needs to be middle of the order upside. Not multiple tertiary players who project to bat 7th, or worse yet, doomed to platoon.

[Cory Engelhardt]

1 minute ago, nicksaviking said:

I absolutely am looking for actual offense and not projected offense if they're going the 'established' player route, but I struggle with Busch as I don't really want a 28 year old as the headliner for a rebuilding team. Also, I know the narrative on this site regarding defense, half the fans will be calling on him to DH by May.

I guess I'd have interest in Wilyer Abreu if they were to go that route. But I'd want a new manager then; can't bring in more young left handed corner bats for him to automatically disregard every third day.

Most of these guys look like prospects that have lost their sheen. The Twins already have a dozen of those. If they're trading Ryan, there needs to be middle of the order upside. Not multiple tertiary players who project to bat 7th, or worse yet, doomed to platoon.

All fair points. I can absolutely see a new manager being a thing. I also didn’t look into players that are making actual salary, but that is another option.

Thanks for the replies 

[Mike Sixel]

Given your constraints, the list is fine. I agree with nicksaviking, I don't want anyone that old. I understand your constraints, but I guess if they are dealing Ryan, I don't get why I want a MLB player back.....

[Irishman]

I'd throw Pohlad in with Ryan to trade to.

[The Great Hambino]

I don't see the need for immediate 2026 help in trading Ryan.  Unless they're planning on bringing their payroll back to a level that I don't think anyone thinks is realistic, their chances are basically nil that they can compete next year with him onboard - if he's gone, then a competitive 2026 really isn't happening.  And until you're having to make painful 40 man decisions about who to let go, you don't have too many prospects

I'm not against getting someone who can contribute next year, but I think you're putting a cap on your options if you insist that this player must be already established in MLB AND have middle of the order potential AND have enough team control to be worth it.  That's a narrow window.  But if you're willing to be flexible on that established MLBer part and open it up to prospects with a real chance of contributing in MLB by the end of 2026 - say, players on at least Kaelen Culpepper's timeline - then I think you might find a lot more upside available.

As far as the list goes, I'd be intrigued by something starting with the Cardinals package, especially if Burleson was dropped from it in lieu of more prospect capital (Lee can be utility with Winn at SS). 

[Cory Engelhardt]

29 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Given your constraints, the list is fine. I agree with nicksaviking, I don't want anyone that old. I understand your constraints, but I guess if they are dealing Ryan, I don't get why I want a MLB player back.....

Why? 

[Mike Sixel]

5 minutes ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

Why? 

Why what? Why don't I want a 28 year old, or why do I think if I'm trading Ryan I want multiple prospects, not 1 MLB player that is good, but not great? 

[Cory Engelhardt]

13 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Why what? Why don't I want a 28 year old, or why do I think if I'm trading Ryan I want multiple prospects, not 1 MLB player that is good, but not great? 

No, I meant, why would you not want a player that can help in 2026? One that has any level of a track record?

I get wanting prospects. I meant, we already HAVE prospects. I also don't know or think that Ryan will be traded. 

[Mike Sixel]

26 minutes ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

No, I meant, why would you not want a player that can help in 2026? One that has any level of a track record?

I get wanting prospects. I meant, we already HAVE prospects. I also don't know or think that Ryan will be traded. 

if you are dealing Ryan, you are punting on 2026, imo. I'm more interested in maximizing upside at that point. I hope they don't deal him, I think.

I don't think this is a winning team, but I could be wrong if they have the nerve to promote Jenkins and Gonzalez right away and they work out......but they aren't likely to do that (promote them or be stars asap), imo. Everything has to go perfectly for 2026 to be a very good team, and the odds of that are tiny. IF you are dealing Ryan, his value will never be higher than this off season (2 years, and every team bidding). 

[Cory Engelhardt]

2 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

if you are dealing Ryan, you are punting on 2026, imo. I'm more interested in maximizing upside at that point. I hope they don't deal him, I think.

I don't think this is a winning team, but I could be wrong if they have the nerve to promote Jenkins and Gonzalez right away and they work out......but they aren't likely to do that (promote them or be stars asap), imo. Everything has to go perfectly for 2026 to be a very good team, and the odds of that are tiny. IF you are dealing Ryan, his value will never be higher than this off season (2 years, and every team bidding). 

I do agree that this would be the height of his value.

I also think that a LOT of the lineup didn't perform to their standards in 2025. I don't know if that means they will in 2026, but I do think it's possible.

[Mike Sixel]

33 minutes ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

No, I meant, why would you not want a player that can help in 2026? One that has any level of a track record?

I get wanting prospects. I meant, we already HAVE prospects. I also don't know or think that Ryan will be traded. 

if you are dealing Ryan, you are punting on 2026, imo. I'm more interested in maximizing upside at that point. I hope they don't deal him, I think.

I don't think this is a winning team, but I could be wrong if they have the nerve to promote Jenkins and Gonzalez right away and they work out......but they aren't likely to do that (promote them or be stars asap), imo. Everything has to go perfectly for 2026 to be a very good team, and the odds of that are tiny. IF you are dealing Ryan, his value will never be higher than this off season (2 years, and every team bidding). 

[SF Twins Fan]

9 hours ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

No, I meant, why would you not want a player that can help in 2026? One that has any level of a track record?

I get wanting prospects. I meant, we already HAVE prospects. I also don't know or think that Ryan will be traded. 

The Twins prospect pool is considered good because it's a deep pool and not because they have top end talent.  So, yea they HAVE prospects, but other than Jenkins they don't have a ton of top end talent. The Twins should really be targeting quality over quantity as return in a Joe Ryan trade.

[Cory Engelhardt]

8 hours ago, SF Twins Fan said:

The Twins prospect pool is considered good because it's a deep pool and not because they have top end talent.  So, yea they HAVE prospects, but other than Jenkins they don't have a ton of top end talent. The Twins should really be targeting quality over quantity as return in a Joe Ryan trade.

Ok, then what positions, and for what level in the minors, would you target? By that I mean, are you wanting an infielder that may be up in 2028? Or a pitcher that might be up in 2029? What would that be in your mind?

 

[SF Twins Fan]

1 hour ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

Ok, then what positions, and for what level in the minors, would you target? By that I mean, are you wanting an infielder that may be up in 2028? Or a pitcher that might be up in 2029? What would that be in your mind?

 

If the Twins are going to trade a pitcher like Joe Ryan, they need to get a high-quality pitching prospect back for him that has had at least some experience and success at AA but preferably AAA.  Someone like a Jaxon Wiggins from the Cubs.  I don't have a lot of faith in Matthews, Festa, Abel, and or Bradley.  The next set of pitchers in Rojas, Prielipp, Hill, and Soto are years away from having success at the major league level.

I'd also want to target another high-quality athletic position player that has had success at either AA or AAA.

Then I'd also want a lower-level flyer.  Likely another pitcher that's in A ball.

 

 

[Linus]

I like the topic and the specifics you put out there Cory. To me it’s always better to chew on real possibilities rather than speak of things like “trade Joe Ryan for a haul”. For example this thought exercise for me points out that getting mlb ready hitting may not be that easy. I would include any prospect who should be ready by 2027 or 28 as I think thats the Twins next window. 

[jaimedude]

Any trade talk I would want  related to any outfielder trades is Lars Nootbaar of the Cardinals. I know he is 28 but he has speed, and plays good defense, BA is average but his home run power is above average. I would rather have Nootbaar than Wallner or Larnach. Probably moot point because I doubt Cardinals want to move him. He is a pesky hitter. 

[tony&rodney]

Cory, this is a good exercise. It is what the front office should be (and may be) doing on a regular basis. While it would be more likely to target a Top 10 prospect, I totally get the idea to look for players who have already managed to show in MLB.

Start with this - the Twins are a 90 loss team that projects to be even worse next year based on their current talent. What can be done? Most of us like both Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez quite a bit. It is completely unclear what teams or value other clubs place on these two pitchers or other Twins for that matter. Earlier this summer in some comments regarding values and trades, I posited a Ryan, Ober, and somebody else (maybe Lewis or Soto or EmRod .... I can't remember) for Nick Kurtz. That was just a crazy idea and would never happen, especially from the Athletics side. However, it seems quite certain that Ryan will be traded. If the Twins stand pat with their current roster after the purge in late July, ..... well that would be very strange.

The Cardinals idea that you propose looks good. Would St. Louis trade their shortstop? 

There are a couple of prospects who may be ready for MLB. Sticking with the Cardinals, I like JJ Wetherholt. Detroit needs a starting pitcher. Would they give up one of their top prospects?

It will be difficult to pry away an accomplished bat and perhaps Boston is the club that best matches up with the Twins.

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, SF Twins Fan said:

If the Twins are going to trade a pitcher like Joe Ryan, they need to get a high-quality pitching prospect back for him that has had at least some experience and success at AA but preferably AAA.  Someone like a Jaxon Wiggins from the Cubs.  I don't have a lot of faith in Matthews, Festa, Abel, and or Bradley.  The next set of pitchers in Rojas, Prielipp, Hill, and Soto are years away from having success at the major league level.

I'd also want to target another high-quality athletic position player that has had success at either AA or AAA.

Then I'd also want a lower-level flyer.  Likely another pitcher that's in A ball.

 

 

This does change the conversation from already having success in the majors to prospects, but it seems natural as well. Wiggins and Alcantara is a thought that includes adding talent. 

The idea was more towards adding guys who the Twins might identify as reliable for 2026. I do think the exchange is more likely to be for high end prospects.

 

[Cory Engelhardt]

1 hour ago, SF Twins Fan said:

If the Twins are going to trade a pitcher like Joe Ryan, they need to get a high-quality pitching prospect back for him that has had at least some experience and success at AA but preferably AAA.  Someone like a Jaxon Wiggins from the Cubs.  I don't have a lot of faith in Matthews, Festa, Abel, and or Bradley.  The next set of pitchers in Rojas, Prielipp, Hill, and Soto are years away from having success at the major league level.

I'd also want to target another high-quality athletic position player that has had success at either AA or AAA.

Then I'd also want a lower-level flyer.  Likely another pitcher that's in A ball.

 

 

Gotta say, I like Wiggins too, but to me he has every bit of chance as ending up as a reliever as any of the pitchers you mentioned that we have too.

I am pretty bullish on Zebby for next year to be honest. His fip and k rate and walk rate are all really solid this year. 

I think Festa can become a good reliever. Barring his shoulder health of course. I can't put him as a rotation option ongoing for a number of reasons. But IF he is healthy (seems like a big if, but the update this morning from Dan Hayes saying that he is in line for a normal offseason is positive.)

Bradley, I THINK, can get there to be a solid rotation guy too. But is that back end? Top end? I don't know.

Jury still out on Abel. His AAA numbers are very good this year. I want to hope that will translate.

All of the others listed are too far away for me right now.

[SteveLV]

If the Twins are going to trade Ryan--and possibly Lopez, too--they need lots of really good pitching back. LOTS.

But those arms don't have to be for 2026, IMO.  The Twins are likely heading to a re-set year in 2026 and 2027 is hugely threatened by labor uncertainty. So I don't think it is imperative that any or all of the pitching come back be available to pitch in MLB in 2026.  If some are, great, but get the very, very best arms without worrying unduly about 2026 (or 2027).

My 2 cents.

[tony&rodney]

Would Boston trade Ceddane Rafaela, Marcelo Mayer, and Payton Tolle for Ryan and Jeffers? This is a bit of a hybrid MLB/prospect bundle.