Rosenthal: The Twins Are Closing the Door on Joe Ryan Trade Talks

[Riverbrian]

20 hours ago, Parfigliano said:

I think that's a crappy Xmass present to the fans.

[Riverbrian]

6 hours ago, sstolen said:

Sort of...its how we do it.

[David Maro]

A lot of wishful thinkers here,even if they keep what they have no BP. This is still a 4th or 5th place team in the central. Their infield is poor defensively and who will be playing the corner OF positions. It might be time for Buxton,Ryan and Lopez to have a meeting with Tom Polhad going around Falvey to see just what the plan is.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

22 hours ago, arby58 said:

From the comments so far, a lot of wannabe commedians who definitely should not quit their day jobs.

What is this "quit" of which you speak?

 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

5 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

How hard is Pee Wee's fast ball?

[Met Stadium Usher]

We are going for The Ashes, where the winner goes home with the urn!  The series goes back to 1882, that's even before Calvin R. Griffith. 

[Doctor Wu]

On 12/24/2025 at 10:17 PM, Cody Christie said:

Trading Ryan now would be a clear signal that the Twins are not interested in finding out what this roster can be.

I don't think that's true. We still have a darn good starting rotation even without Ryan, From posts in recent months, the general feeling seemed to be that trading Ryan would get us the biggest return, possibly even an impact bat and/or a good pitcher for the bullpen. Due to our relative surplus of guys that can start games this coming season, I still think it's worthwhile to at least consider offers for Ryan. He's obviously a very good pitcher and can help our team this season, but I don't think we would be writing off the season by trading him. 

[AceWrigley]

On 12/24/2025 at 11:57 AM, sampleSizeOfOne said:

Setting their sights too low for me.

I won't follow them unless they're making a run on the Stanley bowl. Then we could rest on our Laurels.

I thought it was the Stanley Can.

[LastOnePicked]

Biggest mistake of the offseason. Ryan wants to play for a contender and the Twins need high-impact prospects. It's just another example of the Twins not understanding who they are (a midmarket team with a 90-loss roster) or where they're going (nowhere now but hopefully building for 2028 or 2029).

 

[Old Twins Hat]

The Twins have no obvious holes except they need to play better.  That's not a hole, that's just the way baseball is.  Bullpens are taken down and put back together -- it's the cheapest, most variable and hardest to predict aspect of baseball.  Both Dodgers and Blue Jays had average bullpens last year.

Statistics, sabermetrics -- they measure what happened after the fact.   You can't know how so many variables will shake out.    Using statistics to predict the unpredictable is not forecasting, it's back-casting. 

The Blue Jays last year:  Springer has a good year, Barger emerges, Bichette hits like an All-Star, Vladdy loses weight and shows immense desire, they get Bader and some arms at the deadline, Ernie F'in Clement comes within a whisker of winning MVP in the World Series.  Who knew? Worst to first and just about snuck by the Dodgers -- playing good baseball made the difference -- and staying healthy -- not just one or two guys, but the team as a whole played well and stayed on the field.

Twins will go as far as good play, and luck, takes them.   Get to Florida, see what you got, play the games.  The Twins have a lot of young guys clamoring up the ladder -- they just might have something for once.  Or they could half-ass it, collapse and crawl under an MLB rock.   Really hard to know from this distance.

 

[Patzky]

On 12/24/2025 at 11:57 AM, sampleSizeOfOne said:

Setting their sights too low for me.

I won't follow them unless they're making a run on the Stanley bowl. Then we could rest on our Laurels.

Hardy.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

7 hours ago, Patzky said:

Hardy.

For some reason, i always conflate Hardees with Roy Rogers. Or vice versa. I can never remember.

[Major League Ready]

20 hours ago, Old Twins Hat said:

The Twins have no obvious holes except they need to play better.  That's not a hole, that's just the way baseball is.  Bullpens are taken down and put back together -- it's the cheapest, most variable and hardest to predict aspect of baseball.  Both Dodgers and Blue Jays had average bullpens last year.

Statistics, sabermetrics -- they measure what happened after the fact.   You can't know how so many variables will shake out.    Using statistics to predict the unpredictable is not forecasting, it's back-casting. 

The Blue Jays last year:  Springer has a good year, Barger emerges, Bichette hits like an All-Star, Vladdy loses weight and shows immense desire, they get Bader and some arms at the deadline, Ernie F'in Clement comes within a whisker of winning MVP in the World Series.  Who knew? Worst to first and just about snuck by the Dodgers -- playing good baseball made the difference -- and staying healthy -- not just one or two guys, but the team as a whole played well and stayed on the field.

Twins will go as far as good play, and luck, takes them.   Get to Florida, see what you got, play the games.  The Twins have a lot of young guys clamoring up the ladder -- they just might have something for once.  Or they could half-ass it, collapse and crawl under an MLB rock.   Really hard to know from this distance.

 

So, they don't have bad players.  They have players playing badly.  I guess that's one way to look at it and that hope that bad players can become good is appealing but it's not a good doctrine by which to manage a roster.  We all know what they say about doing the same thing and expecting different results.  I see a hole at corner OFer, 3B, SS, and probably 1B, and a giant hole that is the BP.  That's a lot of holes.

[old nurse]

3 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

So, they don't have bad players.  They have players playing badly.  I guess that's one way to look at it and that hope that bad players can become good is appealing but it's not a good doctrine by which to manage a roster.  We all know what they say about doing the same thing and expecting different results.  I see a hole at corner OFer, 3B, SS, and probably 1B, and a giant hole that is the BP.  That's a lot of holes.

Nor is it ever a good doctrine to think the roster in November and December will be the April one. The comments of let the (not a lot  games played at the major league level) players play and be given a chance to improve should also be shot down. 

[sampleSizeOfOne]

Just so as ya know...

 

If i learned nothing else from The Sound of Music, it is that a closed door implies an open window. 

And if there is nothing else i learned from Fargo( the original movie at least... about time i familiarize myself with the restcof the franchise), it's that it pays to watch the open windows. 
 

I am not yet sure what light it sheds on the situation, but rest assured that a year from now, i'll be able to in good conscience say "i told ya so"

[Mike Sixel]

My theory is that the new owners have an agreement to buy the team, based on the outcome of the cba. The current owners have been told not to make any major moves until the sale.

This is, of course, standard procedure in a sale. It's also a terrible decision by the new owners if true because they should want as many assets as possible in two years. 

[ashbury]

1 hour ago, Mike Sixel said:

My theory is....

It's also a terrible decision by the new owners 

So your theory involves/requires the new owners being bad decision makers?  😁

[DJL44]

12 hours ago, ashbury said:

So your theory involves/requires the new owners being bad decision makers?  😁

They are buying the Twins, so it tracks.

[sampleSizeOfOne]

On 12/24/2025 at 2:32 PM, Craig Arko said:

Hey, let’s go for it. We can rest on both our Laurels and our Hardys.

"Another fine mess" will be our mantra?

[sampleSizeOfOne]

On 12/24/2025 at 12:02 PM, ashbury said:

If they do that then maybe they get an invite to the World Baseball Classic and an outside chance at the FIFA Peace Prize.

Do we really want to win the Fifa Peace Prize?

[laloesch]

On 12/24/2025 at 10:36 AM, KGB said:

Not at least listening to offers on any player seems like a big mistake. With the potential strike, it's unlikely they will get more at the trade deadline. 

I agree.  It sounds like boneheaded stubbornness to be honest.  The Twins are not at all likely to significantly increase payroll.  So extensions of Lopez or Ryan are extremely unlikely after 2027.  You would think they would be listening to offers at the very least.  I think it's all posturing to be honest.

[laloesch]

On 12/27/2025 at 7:21 PM, Mike Sixel said:

My theory is that the new owners have an agreement to buy the team, based on the outcome of the cba. The current owners have been told not to make any major moves until the sale.

This is, of course, standard procedure in a sale. It's also a terrible decision by the new owners if true because they should want as many assets as possible in two years. 

All three?  I believe there are now three limited partners.

[bean5302]

Not listening to me = the ask was so disproportionate they scared off other teams.

This is the process by which Falvey has traditionally operated, even when it was obvious there was a need to move contracts off the books. It covers up for Falvey's incompetence by currying favor with the fanbase who always want to keep every single player which has suited up for more than 1 consecutive year with the club. Like the Twins are going for it!!! No, they're actually just squandering their assets.

[bunsen82]

On 12/27/2025 at 6:21 PM, Mike Sixel said:

My theory is that the new owners have an agreement to buy the team, based on the outcome of the cba. The current owners have been told not to make any major moves until the sale.

This is, of course, standard procedure in a sale. It's also a terrible decision by the new owners if true because they should want as many assets as possible in two years. 

If you have 3 minority owners,  they are not buying the team,  they are all in this as an investment,  meaning don't expect in massive salary improvements.  They will want to manage the debt,  then see what the new CBA brings.  Personally I think they are all taking a bit of a gamble here.   

[Mike Sixel]

9 minutes ago, bunsen82 said:

If you have 3 minority owners,  they are not buying the team,  they are all in this as an investment,  meaning don't expect in massive salary improvements.  They will want to manage the debt,  then see what the new CBA brings.  Personally I think they are all taking a bit of a gamble here.   

It's not where I'd put my money. 

[bunsen82]

1 hour ago, bean5302 said:

Not listening to me = the ask was so disproportionate they scared off other teams.

This is the process by which Falvey has traditionally operated, even when it was obvious there was a need to move contracts off the books. It covers up for Falvey's incompetence by currying favor with the fanbase who always want to keep every single player which has suited up for more than 1 consecutive year with the club. Like the Twins are going for it!!! No, they're actually just squandering their assets.

To be fair,  he got ridiculed for what he received at the trade deadline deals even though the value seems to be pretty good.  I don't want him to give away Ryan.  I also don't think Ryan will lose much value between now and the trade deadline.   If he puts up a similar season to last season while maintaining his performance towards the end of the season you could still get a really good return.  The best offer may have been at the trade deadline but its hard to know what was being offered from the Red Sox.  

[chpettit19]

1 hour ago, bunsen82 said:

To be fair,  he got ridiculed for what he received at the trade deadline deals even though the value seems to be pretty good.  I don't want him to give away Ryan.  I also don't think Ryan will lose much value between now and the trade deadline.   If he puts up a similar season to last season while maintaining his performance towards the end of the season you could still get a really good return.  The best offer may have been at the trade deadline but its hard to know what was being offered from the Red Sox.  

If he blows out his elbow in start #3, I'd bet they don't get a very good return. 

I don't think holding him is the worst thing any FO has ever done, but it certainly comes with some very real risk. The only reason they should keep him is if they truly believe they have good odds of winning the division. We all have our own opinions on how likely that is. If you believe Falvey's words, I'd bet his opinion of their chances are higher than most fan's.

[bunsen82]

1 minute ago, chpettit19 said:

If he blows out his elbow in start #3, I'd bet they don't get a very good return. 

I don't think holding him is the worst thing any FO has ever done, but it certainly comes with some very real risk. The only reason they should keep him is if they truly believe they have good odds of winning the division. We all have our own opinions on how likely that is. If you believe Falvey's words, I'd bet his opinion of their chances are higher than most fan's.

Personally I think Falvey is worried,  I do think his future with the Twins is highly dependent with how well the Twins do this year.  Falvey thinks he can still succeed,  but threading the needle is pretty slim.  The bullpen is still an issue.  There is only about 10-15 arms left in RP free agent market that I think can be decent to above average relievers.   It is extremely picked over so far.  

I had always said you could rebuild a bullpen pretty quickly, but you would have to spend some money which they should have had.  We just didn't.    We needed to sign 1 elite arm to really good reliver - which at this point all are gone,  and then at least 1 solid reliever for $3-$5 million.   I am trying to figure out where you spend $13-$14 million more.  Maybe they pick up 2 mediocre relievers.  I will cringe if they pick up Robertson for 5-7 million.  Lots of risk hoping for 1 more good season.  

At this point the bullpen is -  Funderburk, Orze, Sands, Topa     Likely to Possible additions- Klein, Adams, Ohl Altavilla, Hartwig    Prospects who could be tried- Raya, Prelipp, Festa and Morris.    

That is a lot of question marks.   Now if 2027 is the goal,  I guess its better to build up those players now.  But then still left in the conundrum of letting assets in Buxton and Ryan decrease in value.  I still think Lopez can increase in value by having a good year.  Jeffers is likely staying as we don't have anyone else to replace him and there is a possibility you could get a draft pick (even though I can admit those odds are slim, he would have to have a really good season).    I think most fans are really struggling with the vision which I fully understand.  

 

[jorgenswest]

This year four starters with two years of control in the top 10 of ESPN’s off season trade candidate rankings. Skubal, Ryan, Lopez and Gore have not moved yet. Maybe it is too early and free agency needs to be sorted out and the offers will get better later in the winter. Maybe the offers for that extra year of service time don’t come near meeting the value. Two years of Skubal has more than twice the excess value compared to his last year as his salary will increase. I wonder if the offers don’t reflect that excess value.

The Twins have more FV45 or better players than any other team. They are missing that top flight talent of FV55 or better. If the trade offers are multiple FV45 and 50s instead of that elite talent they lack I support their decision to hold onto Ryan.

[nicksaviking]

On 12/27/2025 at 6:21 PM, Mike Sixel said:

My theory is that the new owners have an agreement to buy the team, based on the outcome of the cba. The current owners have been told not to make any major moves until the sale.

This is, of course, standard procedure in a sale. It's also a terrible decision by the new owners if true because they should want as many assets as possible in two years. 

I would guess that Craig Leopold may have some kind of agreement to buy the team as he kind of sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the private equity groups. I don't think it makes a ton of sense for those groups to want a stake of this team past the point of flipping it for profit. Yet at the same time I don't know why local owner Craig Leopold would want to invest in this nutty situation unless there is a path for him to secure majority ownership later.