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

    Reports say the Twins are open to offers on their All-Star pitcher, but it would take a blockbuster. Here’s what that could mean.

    Matthew Taylor
    Image courtesy of © Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

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    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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    6 hours ago, Maybe Next Year said:

    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.

    Joe Ryan was also a prospect we once got back in a deal.....

    I would personally extend Ryan.  But with ownership such an unknown.....it's hard to make concrete decisions.

    But my god....reading these threads makes me think people are downright jubiliant to be an 82 win team every year.  Like.....at some point taking risks to be more than mediocre playoff jabronis should be the goal.....right?

    Ryan’s probably my favorite player on the club.

    Having said that, you HAVE to start turning this roster over. You have to. And…on a relative basis, the Twins have more near emerging pitching than hitting. If you trade Ryan you need to get a hitting stud that is ready or very close to it as the center piece.

    Just my opinion, but I don't even consider trading Ryan at this point. And probably not in the near future. In fact, he might be the #1 priority for new ownership to extend.

    And I still say, for many reasons including a potential ownership and FO change, I'd hold off trading anybody controllable players until the offseason for a really close examination of what needs to change. Guys like Duran and Jax aren't going to lose value with 2 full years of control still left. 

    Now, if the Dodgers, just for example, want to offer up Rushing and another top prospect for Jax or Duran, I'm going to listen hard. Even though you'll still need to find another #2 catcher for 2026, you MIGHT consider moving Jeffers...or him and someone added... to the Padres for the best return possible. 

    Again, just an example. But I'd move the impending FA for the best returns I could get and wait for the offseason to make the BIG moves.

    Let's turn this around.

    If the Twins had the Tigers' record and could swap Jenkins for an All Star starter with 2.3 years of reasonable team control, they would and should do that in a heartbeat.

    One of those prospects in only the headline of a package for Ryan, and since the 4 play for different franchises we certainly are not going to get more than one.

    The Twins are clearly sellers at this point and have no interest in competing based on a 3-6 start from the AS break against 2 of the worst teams in baseball.

    They have a slew of good assets.  Make the most of it, but don't even THINK about trading Ryan unless it is a true Godfather deal.

    I would not trade Duran, either.

    Everyone else is on the table, except Buxton with is no trade clause.  I mean everyone, and if you can somehow package players and include Correa's albatross contract, make it so.  He may be willing to waive his own no trade clause to get out of here, too.

    8 hours ago, Lasorda_This_Out said:

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

    Otherwise, nope.

    If somehow the Twins stumbled into this impossible deal, they still couldn't develop their hitting the rest of the way to MLB.

    Guys like Castro, Bader, Coulombe HAVE to be traded.  Get whatever you can for Paddack and certainly move Vasquez if you're making a deal that brings you a catcher.  When it comes to controllable assets like Ryan, Duran and Jax I'd have to be blown away with a deal.

    You always trade when an asset is at it's highest.  That is Joe Ryan.  A trade of Ryan would take a LOT.  I'm more in favor of building around him and signing him to an extension...BUT...some people on TD have raised a good point.  Will the Twins new ownership pony up enough money to sign him to an extension?  That is not a given.  If not, trade him NOW.  I'm going to operate under the assumption that new ownership WILL sign Ryan to an extension.  He's part of a successful Twins future.

    However, Duran and Jax will never have higher values either.  Relief pitchers, especially closer types have a particularly enhanced value at the deadline.  One of them SHOULD be traded.  I think you can probably get more for Duran than Jax but it depends on the team and the players coming back. 

    When it comes to the new Twins ownership, FO and Manager, I think they will probably have a similar philosophy as the current regime regarding relief pitchers.  They will pay for a SP but not a RP.

    This is why I see the Twins trading one of Duran or Jax and maximizing the return.  The Twins aren't keeping and paying both.  Especially with the emergence of Varland.  The other Wildcard is Brock Stewart.  When he's been healthy he's been very productive.  But his health history worries me.  I'd sell high on him as well. 

    I'd get a few young arms up for a look in September (Prielipp, Raya) and in addition to the expiring contract guys, deal Duran to the Dodgers or Phillies and leverage Coulombe and Stewart as well.  I'm hanging on to Joe Ryan. 

    This is a tremendous opportunity to enhance the 40 man roster with some young talent that could transform the Twins into a solid contender and a much better constructed roster.  We've focused primarily on pitchers.  But Brooks Lee and Ryan Jeffers, Larnach or Wallner  would be a couple guys I'd consider adding to a deal if I was getting something back I really liked.  

    Trade Ryan?  I don't think it will happen.  Ryan looks like he could be a Pitching piece to build around.  J think the Ryan trade hype is just that:  hype.  This so called open windows for Twins is about closed.  Those can't miss prospects we have are not showing much.  Trade your expiring contracts so you at least get something.  But at the end of the day the philosophy of running it back out there hasn't worked.  The team needs an influx of positivity.  They are still boring and this station to station baseball they play is getting them nowhere.  We have missed the playoffs 3 of past 4 years with much of the same core players.  It will soon be 4 of last 5 years.  It isn't working unless the goal is mediocrity.

    Any Ryan trade would need to include a top starting pitcher prospect who could potentially make the rotation this year or next year. The position players listed here are years away from the ML, so any package that includes them would have to include top shelf pitching. That said, I don’t think the FO will move Ryan because the top four in the rotation next years is shaping up to be Ryan, Ober, Lopez and Matthews, with Festa and SWR as a number five. That’s potentially a very strong rotation. If the offense can get more production from  Correa, Lewis , Larnach and Wallner, the team can be competitive. But Wallner and Larnach have struggled this year, so I’ll be interested to see how they handle them. 

    22 hours ago, thelanges5 said:

    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,

    Don't see this group extending Joe Ryan. That might well be north of $30 million a year.  By the time he reaches FA he will be 32, so maybe you just run with it.  Don't like trading him, but if you do a rebuild, then you might as well get as many prospects as you can from the upper level top 100.  Don't think it will work, but maybe worth a try. 




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