The Twins had a handful of cases to resolve and managed to reach deals with all but one key contributor. It’s been an eventful few months for Joe Ryan, and Thursday added yet another chapter.

Joe Ryan and MN Twins Can’t Come to Terms

Last season, the Minnesota Twins executed one of the more aggressive trade deadline resets in recent memory. Poor results down the stretch led to a 70–92 finish and managerial changes this offseason. Ryan’s relationship with the front office appeared strained at times, then seemingly repaired. Now, he remains the lone arbitration-eligible Twin without a contract.

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

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) January 8, 2026

According to The Athletic’s Dan Hayes, the two sides came close to an agreement today, but ultimately failed to finalize a deal. This isn’t the first time the Twins and Ryan have differed on his value. During the summer, Minnesota reportedly sought a return from the Boston Red Sox that the latter was unwilling to meet.

The next step is the exchange of arbitration figures between Ryan’s representatives and the Twins. The sides could still compromise and settle before a hearing, but if the gap remains too wide, the case will go before a neutral arbitrator.

MLB Trade Rumors, widely considered the gold standard for arbitration projections, estimated Ryan’s 2026 salary at $5.8 million. He earned $3 million in 2025. Minnesota filed at $5.85 million while Ryan was looking for $6.35 million.

Ryan was a first-time All-Star last season for Minnesota. Across 31 appearances (30 starts), he logged 171 innings with a 3.42 ERA (3.74 FIP) and struck out 194 batters, further solidifying himself as one of the Twins’ top two starting pitchers.

Twins Get Other Arbitration Players Under Contract

Beyond Ryan, the Twins had six other players who were arbitration-eligible for 2026. All of them reached agreements, avoiding hearings entirely.

Of that group, Bailey Ober’s deal stood out as the most surprising relative to projections. It’s an unusual moment for Ober to exceed expectations in compensation given how his season unfolded.

Ober posted a 5.10 ERA (4.90 FIP) last year while throwing just 146 2/3 innings. Injuries and ineffectiveness plagued him throughout the season, and his 1.8 home runs allowed per nine innings marked a clear career high. A rebound from Ober may end up being one of the most critical developments for the Twins in 2026.

The Americans will have no shortage of talent to choose from, and the roster has already begun to take shape. Twins star Byron Buxton has been named to the preliminary group, and it now appears he won’t be the only Minnesota representative.

Joe Ryan confirmed for Team USA roster

When the Twins traded Nelson Cruz to the Tampa Bay Rays for Joe Ryan, the young right-hander was pitching for Team USA in the Olympics. This time around, Ryan will represent the United States in the World Baseball Classic, once again joining former Twins teammate Griffin Jax.

It's time for the Joe Ryan experience 😤

He will play for Team USA in the 2026 #WorldBaseballClassic! pic.twitter.com/BUMNE77kLZ

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) December 17, 2025

At the time of his Olympic appearance, Ryan was a 25-year-old prospect posting a 3.63 ERA at Triple-A Durham. Now, he enters the World Baseball Classic as a 29-year-old coming off a 3.42 ERA (3.74 FIP) season with the Twins.

Last year marked Ryan’s best stretch in the majors. By the All-Star break, he carried a 2.72 ERA and looked like a legitimate Cy Young contender. Unfortunately, his performance dipped down the stretch, and he was even rumored in trade discussions.

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

Minnesota has since made it clear they plan to keep both Ryan and Pablo López while building around them. With new minority investors and a shift in organizational messaging, the Twins appear committed to competing, though how aggressively they support their core remains to be seen. Even modest upgrades could put this roster in position to contend.

For new manager Derek Shelton, the hope is that Ryan enters spring training sharp after pitching in high-profile environments. If Ryan can remain healthy and effective through World Baseball Classic action, it could provide a valuable springboard toward another step forward in 2026.

If true, it would be a groundbreaking moment in Twins history, given how grim things looked just last week. But if Minnesota isn’t going to deal their best players, does that mean they are buyers?

Are the Minnesota Twins now offseason buyers?

That would seemingly be the assumption, but some of us need to see that happen before we will believe it. Because that reality includes a Pohlad family willing to open their pocketbook, and we all know how that usually goes.

But you don’t keep those three players, just to run it back with a depleted group of position players and absolutely no bullpen to speak of. There’s a reason the Minnesota Twins lost 92 games last season.

Expecting to win in 2026 with a watered-down version of that roster will not rally possible ticket buyers or Twins.TV subscribers. But there is one hope that gives Rosenthal’s shocking report from the Winter Meetings more credence.

Boston Red Sox appear out on Joe Ryan

We now know one of the minority investors being brought in to save the Twins from financial downfall, under the Pohlads. And whether it is related or not, it now sounds like the Boston Reds Sox are backing off on their pursuit for starting pitcher Joe Ryan.

Ryan has been the apple of Boston’s eye since this past summer, when they nearly plucked him out of Minnesota before the trade deadline. Now, according to Red Sox reporter Rob Bradford, Beantown is no longer interested in the 29-year-old righty.

This could change, but wanted to offer up-to-the-minute update

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) December 8, 2025

Ryan is coming off the first All-Star Game appearance of his career. He posted a 3.42 ERA (3.74 FIP) and bounced back from the teres major strain that ended his 2024 season.

What’s next for MN Twins?

If Minnesota cares about competing in 2026, then dealing a star pitcher set to make around $6 million makes little sense. Then again, carrying a payroll around $100 million doesn’t make much sense either.

Regardless of how the MN Twins convey intentions to the media, they’ll never stop listening to proposals. Falvey wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t answer the phone. But if Minnesota does indeed keep Ryan, along with Buxton and Lopez, then spending is really the only option, even if it isn’t significant.

Reports have suggested that Ryan could be a target for teams, beyond Boston, including for the New York Mets. In fact, the Mets have shown interest in Byron Buxton as well.

Because the organization’s debt problems continue to pile up — reportedly as high as $500 million by most recent reports — and they have not been able to officially announce the new minority partners brought in to help pay that debt down, those inside the organization have been absolutely silent on their future plans.

When pressed by media, team president Derek Falvey made it clear that he cannot reveal a plan that he does not have. In the last few weeks, however, Falvey and Joe Pohlad have pointed to the upcoming MLB Winter Meetings, as the moment in which we will all get more clarity.

In the meantime, reports have been running amuck throughout the league suggesting that, in the end, the Pohlads will opt to finish what they started back in July, and tear down this roster even beyond the foundation.

Most recently, reports at ESPN (Jeff Passan) and USA Today Sports (Bob Nightengale) believed Minnesota’s financial struggles were going to force them into trading a combination of Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez.

Minnesota Twins won’t trade their stars this offseason

But with the Winter Meetings finally upon us, there’s been a sudden change in reporting, when it comes to the MN Twins’ offseason and their plans for the future. As of Friday, according to Ken Rosenthal (The Athletic), the Twins are NOT trading Ryan, Buxton or Lopez.

Instead, the trusted insider writes… “Minnesota’s goal is to keep those players and build around them to compete in 2026.” If you are a Twins fan, hopefully you were sitting down when you clicked on this.

All those fans waiting for their teams to acquire one of the Minnesota Twins’ stars probably can forget it.

The Twins do not anticipate moving center fielder Byron Buxton or right-handers Joe Ryan and Pablo López, according to league sources briefed on their plans. Minnesota’s goal is to keep those players, build around them and compete in 2026.

Ken Rosenthal – The Athletic

Related: ESPN Floats Byron Buxton to MLB’s Anti-Twins

Obviously, continuing to deconstruct the roster would be catastrophic for the Minnesota Twins’ chances to win anytime in the near future. But even worse than that for ownership, dealing any of those three players would have sent ticket and Twins.TV subscription sales plummeting even lower than they currently are.

The only explanation for these sudden winds of change is that the Pohlads’ mysterious new minority partners are on the brink of being approved this weekend, which is why those in charge have been pointing to the Winter Meetings for answers.

Twins looking to add more talent……?

In essence, they did not want to fully count their minority owners before they were officially approved. Now that they have been able to count votes down in Florida, Falvey, Pohlad and everyone else at the top of the Twins’ food chain feels confident enough to put out the good news that fans so desperately need.

But wait… there’s more. Not only are the MN Twins not trading their best players, but they reportedly have “mild flexibility” to make additions beyond what the talent already on roster.

Finances presumably remain an issue, but trades of players such as Ryan and Buxton would further alienate the fan base. Club officials believe the team is talented enough to compete in the AL Central, one of baseball’s weaker divisions. They recently hired a new manager, Derek Shelton. And now that they have clarity from ownership, they believe they have “mild flexibility” to make additions.

Ken Rosenthal – The Athletic

We’ll see exactly what “mild flexibility” means soon enough, and there is no doubt they will need to get better in the bullpen and at the plate, if they want to realistically compete for an AL Playoff spot in 2026, as they claim.

Even without a lot of specificity, however, this is a MASSIVE change in tone from what we we’ve been hearing from these same reporters over the past few months. That’s a good thing

While the rest of the league is moving and grooving, already signing free agents and making trades, the Minnesota Twins have mostly been watching from the sidelines. If they want to jump in the frey with any sort of aggressiveness, it needs to happen sooner than later.

The Twins’ owners are down so bad they reportedly need to trade some of the top talent currently on roster, whether that be Ryan, Byron Buxton and/or Pablo Lopez. Again, the Red Sox appear interested in making a move on Ryan, even after they added his former teammate Sonny Gray to the rotation last week.

But on Thursday, another Joe Ryan suitor emerged through the pile of trade steam currently floating through the atmosphere of Major League Baseball.

New York Mets coming for Joe Ryan?

And if there’s one team that Ryan could end up on that would change everything he knows about being a big leaguer, it’s the New York Mets and their super-rich baseball-loving owner, Steve Cohen, who in his short time as an MLB owner has already proven himself to be baseball’s anti-Pohlad.

The NL East superteam has endless amounts of money, And according to Jon Heyman (NY Post), Joe Ryan could be on the Mets’ latest list of offseason targets, as they attempt to build up a pitching staff that can compete in the playoffs with the World Series-winning LA Dodgers.

The Mets may try to fill their rotation needs via trade, and they are stocked with outstanding prospects. Joe Ryan is among starters of interest to the Mets. The Twins are believed to like Jonah Tong.

Jon Heyman – New York Post

It’s not shocking that the Mets would have interest in Joe Ryan. Heck, the MN Twins should have interest in Joe Ryan. Unfortunately, his modest salary jump this season, via arbitration, is something the Pohlads don’t believe they can afford.

Ryan, 29, is projected to make something just shy of $6 million for 2026, which is a heck of a lot less than what he would demand on the open market. Fangraphs has Joe at 3.1 fWAR in 2025, which is worth $25 million in production. In fact, Joe Ryan has never provided less than $17.3 million in fWAR value during a full MLB season.

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

In 31 games for the Twins last year, Ryan owned a 3.42 ERA (3.74 FIP) and made his first All-Star Game, though his production did trail off toward the end of the season. The 2018 7th round pick out of Cal State Northridge will not hit free agency for two more season.

Ryan could land haul for Minnesota Twins

He will not hit that deadline with the Minnesota Twins, whether his departure happens now, at the trade deadline or next offseason. Unfortunately, losing Joe Ryan is a matter of “when” not “if”… unless the Pohlads sell before he is dealt. But don’t hold your breath.

Although he will be 30 next season, Ryan would demand a haul, if traded sometime this offseason. Next year, he’ll be eligible for another raise via arbitration that will likely come in near $15 million.

The New York Mets have a plethora of prospects that could interest the Twins. Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Jonah Tong — who Heyman specifically mentioned as having Falvey’s eye — are all pitcher prospects ready for the big leagues. Both Carson Benge and Jett Williams could factor into a deal, as well.

Jonah Tong's 7th and 8th Ks. pic.twitter.com/wW0KqTYA5P

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 18, 2025

Minnesota absolutely must capitalize on whatever return they receive for Ryan if he is moved. While both Pablo Lopez and Byron Buxton have significant trade value as well, they have hefty contracts that start to minimize the return the Twins might be able to get.

Since their last postseason run in 2023, the Pohlad ownership group has been cutting back on spending across the board, in a massive way. Obviously, where it’s been felt most is on the baseball field, with tens of millions being removed from the player budget between the end of 2023 and the start of 2025.

Then, after the MN Twins got off to a slow start last spring, the Pohlads instructed team president Derek Falvey to trade Carlos Correa, Willi Castro and just about every pitcher in the bullpen who was worth a damn, before the 2025 MLB trade deadline.

Minnesota Twins trying to make more salary cuts…

Fast forward to today, Tuesday, December 2, and the Twins news is not getting any better. The latest in the run of horror came this morning, when it was reported that Byron Buxton is opening up the list of teams he’d be willing to waive his no trade clause for, beyond Atlanta.

In the piece, written by trusted MLB insider Jeff Passan, all three of the Minnesota Twins’ best players — (5) Buxton, (6) Joe Ryan and (8) Pablo Lopez — were listed as top ten trade candidates, entering this offseason.

If the paucity of front-line free agent outfielders prompts a team to make an offer for Buxton, how seriously would Minnesota take it? And if Buxton goes, does that mean the Twins would be open to dealing some of their pitching, too?

Jeff Passan – ESPN

For anyone holding out hope that the new minority investors were going to stop the Pohlads from fully derailing the immediate future of this franchise, that’s not the news you wanted to open your week with.

After slowly deconstructing the first team to win a playoff series in two decades for this organization, the Pohlads have “successfully” pushed their projected player salary for 2026 down below $100 million. When adjusted for inflation, that’s below Metrodome Era Pohlad spending.

Pohlads need to trade players just to slow mounting debt problems

To rub salt on the wound, another highly-respected league insider, Bob Nightengale (USA Today), published an article suggesting that the roster cuts made to the Minnesota Twins roster, to this point, may not be enough to keep the Pohlad family’s financial problems from getting out of hand.

Thus, it appears they’re officially shopping both Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez, in hopes that trading one will help reduce payroll costs enough to prevent whatever impending disaster is currently hanging over this organization.

Nightengale notes that dealing Ryan could save the Pohlads newarly $6 million, while trading Lopez could save up to $21.5 million next season alone.

The Red Sox nearly pulled off a deal for Ryan at last year’s deadline, only for them to run out of time. He’s one of the premier starters on the market with three years of control and projected to earn just $5.8 million in his first year of salary arbitration.

The biggest question is whether Ryan really is available this winter. The Twins, trying to reduce their debt, are trying to decide whether to move Ryan or starter Pablo Lopez, who has two years left at $21.5 million a season.

Bob Nightengale – USA Today

See, these two minority investor groups that the MN Twins continue to claim are real, have yet to be approved by the league, something the organization was hoping would happen by this week, during the winter meetings. So far, there has been zero chatter of that actually happening.

How can MN Twins financial problems be this bad?

And if it doesn’t, the Pohlads are going to enter panic mode. Because until the deal gets finalized, these new investors — which will reportedly own a total of 20% stake in the Minnesota Twins once the deal is finalized — cannot physically help the Pohlads with their financial woes.

Within this last year, the Twins’ mountain of debt has ballooned from a reported $400 million, all the way to what has now been estimated as high as $500 million, according to those who would know. Here is John Bonnes (Twins Daily) and Aaron Gleeman (The Athletic), back in August, estimating the Pohlad debt being as high as $450 million.

If nothing else, the MN Twins’ impending death by interest payments gives fans and media some insight into how much the Pohlads’ mounting financial woes are, not just handcuffing the day-to-day operations of a billion-dollar corporation, but legitimately threatening the business’s wellbeing.

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.