MLB execs believe Twins would be ‘smart’ to trade away 3.02 All-Star pitcher originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Minnesota Twins are likely headed towards the 2026 MLB trade deadline as sellers, just as they were last season.
But the extent of their sell-off, if it happens, is still very much unknown. They could keep things limited to rentals, or they could part with all of their best players to land some huge returns in trades this season.
Some MLB executives, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney, believe the Twins would be “smart” to trade away All-Star pitcher Joe Ryan this season.
Twins would be ‘smart’ to trade Joe Ryan this season
“But there are rival executives who believe the smart play for Minnesota this summer would be to take advantage of the value of Joe Ryan — who would be one of the most sought-after starting pitchers in the trade market, if he’s available,” Olney writes.
The Twins might not make Ryan available for trade, but based on the view of these MLB executives, they believe the Twins should trade Ryan this season.
There has been plenty of speculation with Ryan in recent years, as the All-Star right-hander has drawn trade interest from plenty of teams.
He has a 3.02 ERA this season in 11 starts, and would surely draw heated interest if made available. He’s going to be 30 years old on June 5 and is under club control for two more seasons.
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With Ryan’s future with the Twins uncertain, it would make sense for them to trade him now, with a year and a half of club control left to get as good a return as possible.
There are going to be interested teams in Ryan, with the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres being two teams to keep an eye on.
While the Twins could keep Ryan for the rest of 2026 and maybe look to trade him over the offseason or at the 2027 deadline, it would make more sense to part with him now to get the best possible value for their ace.
Multiple rival executives, according to Olney, believe the Twins would be smart to trade Ryan this year. It makes sense, as there might not be a better time to part with the ace for maximum value than right now.