Morosi: Joe Ryan Unlikely to Be Traded for Prospects Ahead of MLB Lockout

[Matthew Taylor]

A potential trade involving Joe Ryan and the Minnesota Twins may be becoming less likely following a report from MLB Network's Jon Morosi. According to Morosi, teams are hesitant to trade for players with one year of control remaining due to uncertainty about what the 2027 season will look like.

Morosi specifically mentioned Ryan alongside other notable trade candidates, including Logan Gilbert, Steven Kwan, and Sandy Alcántara. However, pending free agents could still be moved in trades for each other as a way for teams to balance the risk involved.

The timing is important, as MLB's next lockout is expected to begin on December 2. That leaves roughly four weeks for teams to get business done before the sport potentially shuts down for an extended period. With that in mind, there is expected to be plenty of activity in the coming weeks, but Ryan may not be among the players changing teams.

The Twins had an interesting reason to consider moving Ryan this offseason. One area where Minnesota has considerable depth is starting pitching, potentially allowing the organization to trade from that group and recoup assets at other positions. The Twins have several internal options who could help fill out the rotation, including Taj Bradley, Dean Kremer, Bailey Ober, Connor Prielipp, Kendry Rojas, Mick Abel, and Zebby Matthews.

According to Morosi's report, the Twins could theoretically still explore a deal involving Ryan if another pending free agent were coming back in return. A potential challenge trade involving someone like Logan Gilbert could fit that description, although a deal of that nature doesn't seem particularly likely.

At this point, it appears increasingly possible that Ryan will remain in Minnesota and serve as the Twins' ace heading into the 2027 season. Considering the uncertainty surrounding the trade market, that might not be such a bad outcome for the Twins.

What do you think? Should the Twins continue exploring a Joe Ryan trade, or would you rather see him stay in Minnesota and lead the rotation in 2027? Leave a comment below!

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[nicksaviking]

I would say that if aggressive owners DID trade for rental free agents, intentionally or not, that might telegraph a position to the MLBPA which OTHER owners may not want them telegraphing.

In other words, I could see collusion occurring in this regard to make sure the owners keep as much leverage as possible.

[Mike Sixel]

Tommy boy won't allow it. 

[tony&rodney]

I have struggled to see a trade put forth that makes sense to me for Joe Ryan. I can see opportunities to complete trades where someone like Ober is traded along with a controllable player for a player that could fit into the Twins needs.

The news we see concerning the lockout is primarily driven by the owners. The PA sits quietly by the sideline, except to react to big proposals by the owners. 

Collusion, as mentioned in a previous comment, would not surprising in the least. The owners agreeing not to do this or that until a resolution of the CBA is not likely a legal mistake unless specific emails, notes, and agreements are carelessly passed around. Of course, the teams failing to bolster their rosters through signings and trades reduces the quality of the game.

I understand that everyone has opinions on this topic and some are strong. To me it has always seemed really simple. The owners want a CBA to put hard restrictions on all of the owners in a fashion which protects the cost/risk for every franchise. As a few owners have stated, the values of clubs should rise with controlled cost across the industry. Thus it is the players who should bail out the owners, agreeing to a cap system, to save the owners from their inability to agree amongst themselves on how to share revenues.

[MackMan]

I just don't see a haul coming away that people think Ryan is going to get. Last off-season or prior to the AS break, would have been an ideal time to move him. That was when he was worth the most for prospect capital. I'd imagine we could get a player in his similar situation albeit being a position player. Maybe one 8-17 ranked prospect in an organization that is in the AAA level, and potentially a lower A ball player who is just roster fodder. To pair with that we'd probably have to send someone who really doesn't have a spot on our team, but is within the organization (Gonzalez, Ross, Kriedler, maybe a reliever) and could potentially benefit the other side as well. 

[nicksaviking]

1 hour ago, Mike Sixel said:

Tommy boy won't allow it. 

Right, he keeps saying his goal is to bring the fans back (note: it's never winning a championship, it's bringing fans back....). He's going to do the opposite of selling. I'm more concerned he mandates signing 'known' commodities to attract fans, but who aren't necessarily good fits for the roster. Which in my opinion is 95% of all free agents.

[Whammy]

Sounds like a market inefficiency to me.

[Major League Ready]

There were several posters here who predicted his value would be minimal if they did not trade him at the deadline last season given the potential of a truncated 2027 season.  This was quite foreseeable.  

[Whammy]

I think we have to consider the possibility that they don't WANT to trade Joe Ryan.

If they got a great offer, sure, but if Tom P wants to have a team on opening day that is projected to be in the playoffs, then having Joe Ryan at roughly $10M can be a huge part of that.

[Cory Engelhardt]

1 hour ago, tony&rodney said:

I have struggled to see a trade put forth that makes sense to me for Joe Ryan. I can see opportunities to complete trades where someone like Ober is traded along with a controllable player for a player that could fit into the Twins needs.

The news we see concerning the lockout is primarily driven by the owners. The PA sits quietly by the sideline, except to react to big proposals by the owners. 

Collusion, as mentioned in a previous comment, would not surprising in the least. The owners agreeing not to do this or that until a resolution of the CBA is not likely a legal mistake unless specific emails, notes, and agreements are carelessly passed around. Of course, the teams failing to bolster their rosters through signings and trades reduces the quality of the game.

I understand that everyone has opinions on this topic and some are strong. To me it has always seemed really simple. The owners want a CBA to put hard restrictions on all of the owners in a fashion which protects the cost/risk for every franchise. As a few owners have stated, the values of clubs should rise with controlled cost across the industry. Thus it is the players who should bail out the owners, agreeing to a cap system, to save the owners from their inability to agree amongst themselves on how to share revenues.

I agree with all of this. I also have no idea how to value him? Are we trading him at his lowest value? His highest value? 

My guess though is that the talks are happening, and Jon Morosi is passing along some agent or team floating the idea that they don't want to trade a certain prospect for Ryan, and the Twins set the bar at that level of prospect.

OR

They just don't want to trade him.

[MackMan]

1 hour ago, Major League Ready said:

There were several posters here who predicted his value would be minimal if they did not trade him at the deadline last season given the potential of a truncated 2027 season.  This was quite foreseeable.  

I am also of this thought. This is a bad off-season to be trying to make any moves. With the CBA expiring, the potential lockout happening, the poor FA market, this just isn't a great off-season for teams (at least for teams who have put themselves in a bad position). I was also of the same thought that Jenkins and Culpepper should not have been added to the 40-man because of the impending lockout. They are gonna lose out on the teams facilities and training staff, whereas the non-40 man players are going to be able to train and rehab no problem. Double-edged sword type of thing

[Parfigliano]

2 hours ago, Major League Ready said:

There were several posters here who predicted his value would be minimal if they did not trade him at the deadline last season given the potential of a truncated 2027 season.  This was quite foreseeable.  

Like night follows day

[Cory Engelhardt]

17 minutes ago, MackMan said:

I am also of this thought. This is a bad off-season to be trying to make any moves. With the CBA expiring, the potential lockout happening, the poor FA market, this just isn't a great off-season for teams (at least for teams who have put themselves in a bad position). I was also of the same thought that Jenkins and Culpepper should not have been added to the 40-man because of the impending lockout. They are gonna lose out on the teams facilities and training staff, whereas the non-40 man players are going to be able to train and rehab no problem. Double-edged sword type of thing

Disagree completely with the idea of not having Jenkins and Culpepper debut. 

[Linus]

Re: headline: No Kidding. 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

3 hours ago, MackMan said:

I am also of this thought. This is a bad off-season to be trying to make any moves. With the CBA expiring, the potential lockout happening, the poor FA market, this just isn't a great off-season for teams (at least for teams who have put themselves in a bad position). I was also of the same thought that Jenkins and Culpepper should not have been added to the 40-man because of the impending lockout. They are gonna lose out on the teams facilities and training staff, whereas the non-40 man players are going to be able to train and rehab no problem. Double-edged sword type of thing

You’d risk Jenkins available for the Rule 5 in case they don’t have one?

[MackMan]

1 hour ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

You’d risk Jenkins available for the Rule 5 in case they don’t have one?

Jenkins wouldn't have been eligible for the Rule 5 this off season. He was drafted out of HS in 2023. 

[IndianaTwin]

5 hours ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

Disagree completely with the idea of not having Jenkins and Culpepper debut. 

Yes.

The five weeks or so of time in the majors were worth more than having availability to play minor league games during a lockout. And in terms of access to medical staff, if they are dealing with any health concerns at present, the Twins staff is having very active conversation with the player's personal trainers, etc., to make sure that protocols are established and followed. It's in both the player's and team's best interests to be overcommunicating on this kind of stuff at this juncture and in the coming weeks. 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

29 minutes ago, MackMan said:

Jenkins wouldn't have been eligible for the Rule 5 this off season. He was drafted out of HS in 2023. 

I’m conflating Jenkins and Rodriguez who’s out of options.