How far the team scales back remains to be seen. Byron Buxton and Pablo Lopez hold the two highest remaining contracts, and dealing either would push payroll even lower. Joe Ryan will earn just under $6 million this season, but he could bring back a strong return.

During an unprecedented selloff at the trade deadline, Ryan was nearly shipped to the Boston Red Sox. The deal fell apart at the last minute, but the groundwork for a future move has already been laid.

Joe Ryan is Near-Certain to be Traded by the Minnesota Twins

Where there’s smoke, fire usually follows. At this point, there has been far too much talk about Joe Ryan being traded for it to logical to expect him back with the Minnesota Twins. Anthony Castrovince floated him in what he labeled a ridiculous trade, and Mark Feinsand called Ryan the most likely player to be moved this offseason.

Ryan’s name was oft-mentioned prior to last summer’s Trade Deadline, though he was ultimately one of the few players to remain in Minnesota. The Twins have some decisions to make this winter; do they go into a full rebuild, prompting them to trade Ryan (and Byron Buxton, Pablo López, Ryan Jeffers, etc.)? Or do they try to contend in the AL Central and add pieces around those players? If they choose Option A, Ryan will be a highly sought-after arm.

Mark Feinsand – MLB

I struggle to agree with Feinsand when he lumps Ryan in with both Buxton and Lopez. Those two carry sizable contracts that would clearly represent cost-cutting moves for the ownership overlords. Saving $6 million on Ryan isn’t impactful on its own, though his two years of remaining team control certainly carry value.

The 29-year-old posted a 3.42 ERA (3.74 FIP) and was earned his first All-Star appearance last season. He carried a 2.72 ERA into the All-Star break and a 2.82 ERA entering the trade deadline. The Twins jerked him around in the second half and it understandably affected a pitcher who has long struggled to keep his emotions in check.

2025 PitchingNinja Sweeper of the Year Award. 🏆

Winner: Joe Ryan
30.5 inches of Horizontal Break 😳 pic.twitter.com/S1TS4IkeXg

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) November 8, 2025

If there’s ever a time to cut ties and give everyone involved a fresh start, it’s this offseason. Trading Ryan at the deadline or later would be a missed opportunity to capitalize on his value. It should be obvious that Ryan is the kind of player you pay to keep around. But Minnesota isn’t trying to win right now, and turning the page fits the direction they’ve chosen.

MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince recently floated what he calls ridiculous trades, two of which involved the Twins. While hypothetical, they spotlight the type of bold moves a rebuilding Twins team might entertain.

Byron Buxton on the move for Minnesota

No player has more publicly committed to staying in Minnesota than Byron Buxton. Yet the Twins’ apparent willingness to drift into non-competitiveness could push the star out the door. While the Atlanta Braves would make sense for the Georgia native, Castrovince instead proposes a three-team deal that ends with Buxton in Cincinnati, pending his approval of a no-trade clause he has historically guarded closely.

3) The Bux moves here

Reds get: OF Byron Buxton

Astros get: RHP Brady Singer

Twins get: SS Tyson Lewis (Reds’ No. 3 prospect), OF Mason Neville (Reds’ No. 13 prospect), C Walker Janek (Astros’ No. 4 prospect), RHP Cole Hertzler (Astros’ No. 29 prospect)

Buxton declared himself “a Minnesota Twin for life” last summer, though it has been reported that he might reconsider if the teardown we saw at the Trade Deadline continues. (Buxton has a full no-trade clause, complicating any deal. Again, even fake ones.)

Here, to fulfill my duty to trade as many stars as possible, I’m operating on the assumption that the Minnesota rebuild does continue, even though that might not necessarily be the case.

Buxton would be perfect for a Reds team that could use its pitching depth to address a lineup in need. At roughly $15 million each of the next three seasons, he likely fits their payroll in ways the most prominent free-agent bats do not.

MLB.com

Buxton waiving his no-trade clause to go to Cincinnati seems unlikely. He’s coming off the best season of his career and an 11th-place MVP finish. While the Reds are trending upward and make sense as a team looking to add impact talent, it’s hard to imagine Buxton approving that destination.

Houston, meanwhile, needs pitching help, and Singer is a post-hype arm who could benefit from landing in a stronger developmental environment. No matter how you look at it, there are some big-name pieces moving around in this scenario.

The Twins owe Buxton just over $15 million this season, making his contract the second-highest on the roster behind Pablo López. Clearing that salary in exchange for a haul of pre-arbitration talent would certainly appeal to ownership.

The Joe Ryan deal gets done too

At the trade deadline, the Minnesota Twins executed a selloff of epic proportions. They flirted with moving Joe Ryan but ultimately backed away. Still, that can of worms has already been opened, and it’s difficult to put the lid back on. Jarren Duran was part of the talks then and remains part of the equation now.

4) Call it a mini (Minny?) Mookie trade

Dodgers get: OF Jarren Duran

Red Sox get: RHP Joe Ryan

Twins get: OF Zyhir Hope (Dodgers’ No. 2 prospect), LHP Jackson Ferris (Dodgers’ No. 6 prospect), 3B Chase Harlan (Dodgers’ No. 18 prospect), RHP Marcus Phillips (Red Sox’s No. 11 prospect)

Well, if we’re going to design a rebuilding plan for the Twins, we might as well keep going. This trade reunites the three teams that conspired on the dual 2020 deals that ultimately brought Mookie Betts to the Dodgers.

I had this fake trade sketched out prior to Boston’s deal for Sonny Gray – a trade that improved their rotation but still leaves them in need of a Dude behind Garrett Crochet. The Sox get one here in Ryan, who is under control through 2027 and coming off an All-Star season in which he had a 125 ERA+ (25% better than league average) in 171 innings.

Given that control, maybe Duran would appeal to the Twins, but, again, we’re operating under the assumption that they’d be going with a full-scale youth movement here.

The Twins get another bounty of prospects here for what would instantly be one of the strongest systems in the sport.

MLB.com

Short of prospects like Roman Anthony or Marcelo Mayer, the Twins likely have little interest in the Red Sox’s big-league talent. As Castrovince notes, leaning into a rebuild makes sense.

Minnesota’s farm system is already strong, and adding this much prospect talent would easily make it one of the best in baseball. Developing the crop will take time, but this is how you build a new core.

Ultimately, neither of these trades seems likely for Minnesota. That said, the team should be expected to make some controversial moves this offseason, most of which will probably involve players leaving rather than talent coming in.

They sorted out Justin Topa’s contract situation, avoiding arbitration with the 34-year-old righty reliever by agreeing to a one-year deal worth $2 million. They also traded for a new backup catcher, in 29-year-old veteran Alex Jackson.

No non-tenders for Minnesota Twins, including Trevor Larnach

The acquisition of Jackson made for seven Twins players who needed to be tendered or signed, before Friday’s arbitration deadline.

After some rumblings that Trevor Larnach could be on his way out, Minnesota opted to tender the corner outfielder, along with the other five arb-eligible Twins remaining after Topa signed his deal Thursday.

Aside from Trevor Larnach, the #MNTwins offered a contract to everyone else — Bailey Ober, Joe Ryan, Cole Sands, Alex Jackson, Ryan Jeffers and Royce Lewis –after DFA'ing DaShawn Keirsey Jr. earlier in the day.

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) November 21, 2025

Trevor Larnach: Tendered. #MNTwins

— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) November 21, 2025

MLB Trade Rumors projects Trevor Larnach’s 2026 salary at $4.7 million. He made $2.5 million in 2025. It’s not that the salary increase is substantial, but for a team that looks destined to have a bottom-of-the-barrel payroll , it still seems unlikely he’ll be in Fort Myers for Spring Training.

Larnach is a left-handed outfielder on a team with a boatload of left-handed outfielders. Across 442 big league games he has a .241/.323/.403 split with a 101 OPS+.

Back-to-back days with a home run for Trevor! pic.twitter.com/qdqbiIApmv

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 5, 2025

Larnach’s 116 OPS+ in 2024 was a career-best. Unfortunately the development didn’t continue, and he’s hardly been the exit velocity power hitter that the front office dreamed on when grabbing him out of Oregon State in the first round.

Derek Falvey has been shopping Larnach long before Friday, and those conversations can now continue this winter. It’s unlikely Larnach generates anything substantial in return, if the Twins can indeed find a trade partner.

Other MN Twins tendered

The other tender candidates include Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober, who are both penciled in as front-line starters in next year’s rotation… if the MN Twins don’t trade them first. Sands is the top member of a gutted bullpen, along with Topa. Both Jeffers and Lewis will be every day starters.

There’s opportunity for the Twins to tear things down even further. Pablo Lopez is the highest salary remaining on the roster, and Joe Ryan will continue to get more expensive as he approaches free agency. Minnesota tried to trade him at the deadline, and there’s no doubt that may still be on the table.

If Derek Falvey is going to let Ryan go, then it’s going to make another franchise that much better. Jeff Passan wants to see it.

Jeff Passan urges Red Sox to complete Joe Ryan trade

At the trade deadline the Minnesota Twins parted out anything with a pulse. Joe Ryan was under the assumption he had been traded after Fox Sports initially reported it as done. It didn’t happen, but the Red Sox came close. ESPN insider Jeff Passan now calls that the path to Boston’s perfect offseason.

The perfect transaction: At the trade deadline this past season, the Red Sox believed they were close to landing Joe Ryan, an elite arm who had his best year yet for the Twins in 2025. As long as Red Sox ownership keeps the financial clamps on chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, he’ll need to get creative in improving a Red Sox team that’s already quite good. Revisiting what he missed at the deadline is the simplest way to do so, and as much as the Twins say they want to win in 2026, they understand: Now is the time to strike and dealing Boston another front-line starter to pair alongside Garrett Crochet is the way to do it. Trade for Minnesota right-hander Joe Ryan.

Jeff Passan – ESPN

Minnesota has already generated a relative blueprint for a framework to make this trade. With it being so close to happening in July, Falvey doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel. That said, it’s clear that the return wasn’t where the Twins wanted it to be.

Craig Breslow pitched three seasons for the MN Twins. Now he could be looking to take one of their best pitchers. The Red Sox may try to dangle outfielder Jarren Duran. The problem is that he’s already 29 years old and Minnesota has a plethora of left-handed outfielders.

It’s possible that Falvey tries to pry away Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell, or Payton Tolle instead. Either way, moving on from Ryan should generate a level of pain for Boston and Minnesota must thread the needle between now and the future.

A Ryan trade waves the white flag for MN Twins

Moving Pablo Lopez would be the way for the Pohlads to shave even more off the bottom line. Moving Ryan represents a path to turn the book on this core and kick the can down the road.

2025 PitchingNinja Sweeper of the Year Award. 🏆

Winner: Joe Ryan
30.5 inches of Horizontal Break 😳 pic.twitter.com/S1TS4IkeXg

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) November 8, 2025

Lopez is a legitimate frontline starter, but he still carries a sizable contract. Moving on from a relatively cheap contract in Ryan strips the rotation of anything consistent at the top. We watched Bailey Ober flop last season, and the pitching depth wound up being little more than extra bodies capable of standing on the mound.

Until the back-end of the rotation substantiates itself as viable options for the future, any changes at the top kneecap new manager Derek Shelton from making any substantial headway in the win column. Of course he’s dealt with horrible ownership before after being fired by the Pirates.

It’s a horrendous sell to fans if both Ryan and Lopez are moved. If the former is though, that’s the white flag on the season in and of itself.

There isn’t a significant reason to trade Joe Ryan, but the Twins may look past being competitive and go into a full-on rebuild. New manager Derek Shelton wouldn’t touch that word during his introductory press conference Tuesday, but offseason decisions will highlight the future direction.

Minnesota Twins may control pitching trade market

Tarik Skubal is the best pitcher on the planet right now, and the Detroit Tigers could trade him if they don’t think a deal is possible. That isn’t seen as likely right now though, and that leaves Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan as premier pitching trade pieces. Both Jeff Passan and Buster Olney have suggested Minnesota may control the top of the market.

Because of the looming labor situation, some younger stars who are under team control in 2027 before reaching free agency could be shoved into the trade market by circumstances this winter.

The best example: Joe Ryan, who is eligible for free agency after the ’27 season. Typically, the Twins could wait until next summer’s trade deadline to consider taking offers for Ryan. However, with many executives believing that at least some of the ’27 season is in jeopardy because of the labor strife, placing an appropriate trade valuation on Ryan will be much, much more complicated next July; teams might not be willing to part with significant return if they believe the ’27 season will be truncated or lost. So if teams want to get proper return on players like Ryan, they could be better served to take offers this winter, rather than waiting until next summer.

Buster Olney – ESPN

Most of the bigger names that will draw interest are pitchers: Minnesota right-handers Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez, Washington left-hander MacKenzie Gore and St. Louis right-hander Sonny Gray.

Jeff Passan – ESPN

Last season Joe Ryan finished with a 3.42 ERA (3.74 FIP) that was inflated down the stretch. He looked the part of a Cy Young candidate at times, and that’s what an acquiring team would be looking to capitalize on. Making just $3 million in 2025, Ryan will get a bump in arbitration, but he’s under team control through the 2027 season.

Unlike Ryan, dealing Pablo Lopez would be more reflective of a salary-motivated move. He is set to make $21.75 million each of the next two seasons. His 2.74 ERA (3.19 FIP) was a career-best, but he made just 14 starts due to injury.

Return for MN Twins pitcher would need to be substantial

When the Minnesota Twins sold off nearly 40% of the roster at the trade deadline, they did well with the Jhoan Duran move. A top 100 prospect in Eduardo Tait being paired with Mick Abel was a good get. Ryan and Lopez should both net something more.

Ryan is cheap for another two seasons and is a legitimate top-of-the-rotation arm. While Lopez costs plenty, his salary would be easily surpassed if he were a free agent on the open market.

Joe Ryan, Nasty 80mph Curveball…and Sword. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/DcacoJYetN

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 31, 2025

It’s plausible that Minnesota simply wants to start over and look for new talent to shuffle the roster. If that’s the case though, then Derek Falvey can’t miss on what should be an absolute haul for either of his top arms.

The trade deadline saw nearly 40% of the roster shipped out, and the manager was canned at the end of the season. A new leader will be brought in soon, but they could struggle to orchestrate a competitive team if more cuts are made.

It’s looking like Joe Ryan is certainly on the trade market, and with big fish circling, there will be a market to move him.

Expect premium teams to come calling on Joe Ryan

The Boston Red Sox nearly landed Joe Ryan at the Major League Baseball trade deadline. Despite them coming up short during the season, it’s likely they will engage the Minnesota Twins again this offseason. The New York Mets could get involved too and SNY’s John Harper has heard plenty of discussion.

“They [Boston] like him a lot and with their outfield depth they match up well with the Twins. I’d give that a pretty good chance of happening unless somebody like the Mets makes Ryan a priority and puts together a stronger package.”

Anonymous Scout – SNY

It’s pretty easy to believe that the Red Sox would remain interested as that was the case just a couple of months ago. It remains to be seen how much opportunity the Twins have in the outfield, which is the primary position Boston was willing to offer. New York could offer a different package, and they may believe Ryan has more to unlock.

“He’s got that natural ride on his fastball that allows him to get swings and misses at the top of zone, despite average velocity (93.6 mph). But he gave up a lot of home runs on the fastball, too. He’s got good secondary stuff, and I think he could do a lot more with pitch shaping and sequencing.

A team like the Mets, who have leaned into the analytics under Stearns, could help him with that and make that fastball even more of a weapon. He’s got a good feel as it is, but I think if he becomes less predictable, he’ll make fewer mistakes and you’ll see more dominance.”

Anonymous Scout – SNY

That’s certainly the belief Minnesota had when they acquired Ryan. He was already at Triple-A when the Rays shipped him out for Nelson Cruz. Ryan has thrived with the Twins and his 3.42 ERA (3.74 FIP) was a career-low.

Ryan is projected to earn $5.8 million in arbitration this offseason. It’s a slight bump from his 2025 $3 million salary, but still substantially lower than what he would be worth on the open market.

If and when the Twins decide to move Ryan, and Pablo Lopez and his $21.75 million salary for 2026 should be good as gone too.

If the Twins do continue the roster deconstruction — a process that started after the 2023 season and accelerated at the 2024 trade deadline — it will be the ultimate betrayal, just months after Minnesota’s new minority owners were supposedly brought on to save the financial day.

By the time this MLB offseason heats up, the new partners should be ratified by the league, and the Pohlads MASSIVE debt should be mostly relieved. In theory, after shedding tens of millions in future salary by dealing Carlos Correa (among many others) at the deadline, the MN Twins should be in a better spot financially than ever before.

But instead of rallying the fanbase and trying to mend relationships, the Pohlad family seems intent on doing everything within their power to make every single fan in Twins Territory hate them with every fiber of their baseball being.

Minnesota Twins determined to trade Joe Ryan, apparently…

On Sunday night, the Star Tribune’s Bobby Nightengale Jr. wrote an article projecting what Minnesota Twins president Derek Falvey will do with every player on the 40-man roster, during the offseason. And when it came to Joe Ryan… well, Bobby is urging Twins fans to get your Joe Ryan goodbyes in now, while he is still here.

Joe Ryan, 29

The Twins’ top trade chip this winter thought he was traded in July after an erroneous social media post. The first-time All-Star had a 13-10 record and a 3.42 ERA in a career-high 171 innings, which included a second-half swoon.

Contract: Arbitration-eligible (second year)

2026 outlook: The Twins will listen to offers on Ryan, who could net a blockbuster trade. He’ll be worth it to a contender.

Bobby Nightengale – Star Tribune

Related: Twins Zeroing In on Next Managerial Hire

With expectations as low as they have been in 20 years, the Pohlads could reinvigorate the majority of this fanbase just by spending back to a number that rivals what they did last year. With a roster that currently comes in under $100 million, that would give Falvey $30+ million to play with.

Yet, the Minnesota Twins sound dead set on dealing away all of their most talented players, even AFTER they’ve already “right-sized the business“. Wasn’t that the goal of this entire things, since the offseason between 2023 and 2024?

Now that these new owners have saved the day and the Pohlads aren’t bouncing checks… weren’t were supposed to start building things back up. Instead, it sounds like they want to burn it all to the ground.

It's time for the Joe Ryan Experience pic.twitter.com/R6g9gNkkoV

— Twins.TV (@twinstv) June 8, 2025

It REALLY doesn’t have to be this way…

Why? You don’t need a business degree to see that the MN Twins are sitting on a unique opportunity, if the Pohlads can open their eyes and take advantage. Falvey could make a come of mid free agent signings this offseason, including a guy like Luis Arraez, and immediately get a lot of the fanbase back on board.

Naturally, that excitement would mean an increase in ticket sales leading up the season AND more Twins.TV subscriptions. But of course, the Pohlads are determined to dig a hole with this fanbase even deeper than before, which I didn’t think was possible. Seriously, how deep does a hole have to be before it caves in?

I’m not sure, but it appears they’re very determined to find out. Because if the Minnesota Twins are willing to trade Joe Ryan, why in the world would they hang onto Pablo Lopez? Hell, why would he want to be here?

Pablo López, 29

A frustrating season for the staff ace of the Twins. He pitched well, owning a 2.74 ERA, but he didn’t pitch enough. He made only 14 starts, his lowest total in five years, because of three stints on the injured list.

Contract: Owed $21.5 million in each of the next two seasons

2026 outlook: If the Twins don’t trade him during the offseason, he’ll make his fourth consecutive Opening Day start.

Bobby Nightengale – Star Tribune

Although the 70-92 record largely reflects a failure of a season, there was still plenty of positives to take away. Minnesota will highlight those during their offseason Diamond Awards ceremony this winter, but the recipients were revealed on Wednesday.

Diamond Awards winners highlight best of 2025 Minnesota Twins

It should be pretty expected that Bryon Buxton was the Minnesota Twins best player this season. He is going to get down-ballot MVP votes, and will earn contract incentive bonuses because of it. He’s not the only standout though, and the local BBWAA chapter voted on the yearly Diamond Awards that were made public this week.

Of course Byron Buxton was awarded with the team MVP. The results of the vote are not made public, but that should have been unanimous. Across 126 games he batted .264/.327/.551 with a career-high seven triples, 35 homers, and 83 RBI. With any level of help, Buxton would have led the Twins into a deep postseason run.

Buxton’s selection as Defensive Player of the Year likely represents an unwillingness to vote for since-departed players. Harrison Bader was traded to the Phillies, but he was easily Minnesota’s best fielder this season. Buxton as a second choice is hardly a misstep however.

There isn’t much of a surprise anywhere across the totality of these awards. Austin Martin being named the most improved player is a reflection of him capitalizing on late-season opportunity. After dealing with injury early in 2025, he finished with 50 games played and a .282/.374/,365 slash line. That will earn him an Opening Day roster spot in 2026, and he turned the arc of his career around.

Michael Busch, who played in the postseason with the Chicago Cubs, was named the Upper Midwest Player of the Year. The Inver Grove Heights native batted .261/.343/.523 with 34 home runs. Chicago was bounced from the postseason by the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Twins will host the Diamond Awards ceremony on January 23, 2026 at Target Field during TwinsFest Live! The event will be followed by TwinsFest on the 24-25.

Right now the only guaranteed money on the books is allotted to Byron Buxton ($15.1 million) and Pablo Lopez ($21.75 million). They have ten players eligible for arbitration, and bringing some of that talent back will help to fill out the roster.

MLB Trade Rumors has long been the gold standard when figuring out what arbitration salaries may look like. 2026 projections became public on Monday.

Twins arbitration projections paint a picture

Major League Baseball affords a period of time for organizations to keep players under team control. Before reaching free agency, players are granted raises through an arbitration process. Either the team and player can agree on a number, or they go to a hearing. The Twins have ten eligible players this offseason, and MLB Trade Rumors has outlined where they may land.

There’s a lot to break down here. Of the ten players up for arbitration, five seem like slam dunks. Royce Lewis, Ryan Jeffers, Bailey Ober, Joe Ryan, and Cole Sands will all be offered contracts. Trevor Larnach seems like a candidate on the fence, and there are a handful of veterans that could easily be replaced with others at the minimum.

Both Jeffers ($6.6M) and Ryan ($5.8M) become serious trade candidates for Derek Falvey with their values creeping upwards. Minnesota already dangled Ryan at the trade deadline, and he pairs with Pablo Lopez as potential salary dumps this offseason.

Larnach is an interesting case. At $4.7 million he’s no longer cheap. With a career OPS+ of just 101, he’s barely been over league averaged, and the power he was drafted for has translated into a single season (2025 – 17) with more than 15 homers.

There are also four relievers among the group. Only Cole Sands has been an above-average option, but the Twins bullpen was torn down to the studs at the trade deadline. How Falvey goes about rebuilding that group remains to be seen.

If the Minnesota Twins keep each of the five expected players, they’d add roughly $21.3 million to their 2026 payroll. Combined with Buxton and Lopez, that would push the overall amount to $58.15 million with seven of the 26 roster spots filled.

Joe Ryan was among the players dangled at the deadline, but ultimately the Boston Red Sox couldn’t complete the deal. He went through a whirlwind of emotions in the time since, but now is seemingly in favor of what the front office is doing.

MN Twins path forward makes sense to Joe Ryan

It was less than three weeks ago that Joe Ryan was calling out the front office and ownership for a Sonny Gray move that sparked this downturn. Now he seemingly is stepping back and singing a different tune. The Athletic’s Dan Hayes talked with him following Friday’s loss in Philadelphia.

“At the end of the day, I see the big picture and the decisions they’ve made, and I think they’re good decisions and the trajectory of the organization is positive. I think they’re doing a really good job of working with what we have and making the right decisions on the field right now and putting a little more pressure on teams. The young guys that are stepping up, obviously, there have been a couple of rocky outings here and there, but for the most part, guys like Taj (Bradley) and Mick (Abel), those guys look really good.”

Joe Ryan – The Athletic

It’s beyond plausible that Ryan was simply frustrated with what the Twins did at the trade deadline. Jhoan Duran was among the players moved, and he shared that sentiment with Hayes on Friday in Philadelphia as well. Now that he’s had time to process, it seems Ryan is a bit more well-reasoned with his take.

“I felt like I was in shock for a couple of weeks after that, and then it kind of settled in. (My future) is so far out of my control. But it seems like the team is making good decisions from the front office and coaching staff down to give ourselves a chance to win a couple more ballgames. … I think the team’s going to be in a really good spot going forward. Hopefully we’ll make a couple of other moves and see where that goes, but I’m not too worried about that.”

Joe Ryan – The Athletic

It’s on odd full-circle moment. He does acknowledge that the front office is “working with what they have” as an understanding that ownership ties one arm behind their backs. That means getting good talent in exchange for expensive players is a must. It remains to be seen if Bradley and Abel fit that mold though.

Knowing there may not be a path to make other impactful moves, Ryan dances around what his future could look like. It wasn’t long ago that it appeared as though it wouldn’t be in Minnesota. If it is, he’ll have to do plenty of the heavy lifting.

He finished this season with a career-best 3.47 ERA (3.74 FIP), but a bad stretch since mid-August (6.75 ERA in his final seven starts) wiped out a 2.72 ERA. Those sort of numbers would have been worthy of Cy Young votes. Finishing strong is something that becomes a priority for a guy needing to lead any sort of a future postseason push.

Youth provides a mixed bag for Twins

Taj Bradley has had some moments of execution for the Twins, but he finished with a 6.61 ERA (4.74 FIP) across 31 1/3 (six starts) innings. He has nearly 400 innings at the big league level, and owns a 4.86 ERA. He’s still just 24 years old, but Minnesota must develop him into something more for that move to make sense.

Taj Bradley's 3Ks in the 6th. pic.twitter.com/3UdMQ1K84y

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 25, 2025

Abel is the same age as Bradley, but has just 33 innings at the big league level. He’ll finish his season pitching against his former employer on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. Abel has given up 14 runs (13 earned) in just eight innings for the Twins and was once demoted back to Triple-A. He’s dominated the minors but has to unlock the next level.

Hypothetically there’s an understanding of what Derek Falvey and Jeremy Zoll are doing. That doesn’t mean it’s enough to have a realistic path forward. The Twins still have just two surefire big league starters, and both Ryan and Pablo Lopez could be trade candidates this offseason.

For now Ryan is toeing the company line it seems, but at some point, it can’t be fun playing for a loser with little opportunity to have things improve.