Twins Can’t Settle With Starter Ahead of Arbitration

There are multiple important dates scattered throughout the Major League Baseball offseason. Thursday represented the date that the Minnesota Twins must come to contract agreements for arbitration eligible players, or instead head to a hearing.

The Minnesota Twins had a handful of those types of players to sort through. They got deals done with each of them except for one key member. It’s been an interesting few months for Joe Ryan, and he just added another data point.

Joe Ryan and MN Twins can’t come to terms

Last season the Minnesota Twins ripped off one of the most aggressive trade deadlines in recent memory. Poor results then led to a 70-92 record and managerial changes this offseason. Joe Ryan was sick of management, and then he wasn’t. Now he’ll have to work through that relationship as the only arbitration eligible player not to secure a contract.

#MNTwins reached agreements with all of their arbitrator-eligible players except Joe Ryan.

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) January 8, 2026

The Athletic’s Dan Hayes reported that the two sides got pretty close, but ultimately couldn’t get a deal done. It’s not the first time Minnesota hasn’t agreed on value regarding Ryan. The Boston Red Sox weren’t ready to pony up what the Twins believed he was worth this summer.

The next steps for Minnesota and Ryan’s representation is to exchange arbitration numbers. Each side could compromise and meet in the middle, or if the chasm is too wide, they’d he’d to a hearing with a neutral arbitor.

MLB Trade Rumors, which is the gold standard for arbitration projects, had Ryan estimated for $5.8 million in 2026. He made $3 million in 2025.

Ryan was a first-time All-Star last season for the Minnesota Twins. Across 31 outings (30 starts), Ryan pitched 171 innings and owned a 3.42 ERA (3.74 FIP). He racked up 194 strikeouts, and further cemented himself as one of the Twins top two arms.

Twins get other arbitration players under contract

Beyond just Ryan, the Minnesota Twins had five other players that were arbitration eligible in 2026. All of them agreed to new contracts and are now done deals.

Of the arbitration eligible players to land new deals, only Bailey Ober was significantly off where the projection sat. It’s a weird time for Ober to beat projections when it comes to compensation too.

Last season Ober owned a 5.10 ERA (4.90 FIP) while throwing just 146 2/3 innings. He was hurt and ineffective all season. His 1.8 HR/9 allowed was easily a career-worst, and a rebound for him may wind up being the most consequential thing to watch for Minnesota Twins this season.

Although Sands has been reported to have a deal in place, those numbers have not yet been made public.