The Twins may eventually have to make a Joe Ryan decision, but if they do it before the 2027 season, it probably won’t look like the kind of prospect haul people usually expect.
Ryan has been the name to watch in trade chatter for a while now. He was a popular candidate at the 2025 trade deadline, then again last offseason, and once more at this year’s deadline.
Minnesota held onto him each time, even though the club has now missed the playoffs in back-to-back years and the clock is ticking. He’s under team control through next season, and unless the Twins work out an extension, he’s headed for free agency after that.
That’s why a move before the 2027 season feels possible. It would be a chance for the Twins to cash in before Ryan reaches the open market, much like the Brewers did with Freddy Peralta before the 2026 season, when they sent him to the New York Mets for a prospect package.
But there’s a catch, and it’s a big one. If Minnesota deals Ryan before 2027, it may not happen until after the Dec. 1 lockout.
MLB Network’s Jon Morosi said players with one year of control left are unlikely to be traded for prospects this month because of the uncertainty surrounding the 2027 season. He also noted that pending free agents could be moved for each other.
In other words, if Ryan gets dealt, it would likely be in a swap for another player on an expiring contract.
That’s where the logic starts to break down for the Twins.
Moving Ryan for another pending free agent doesn’t really solve the problem. If Minnesota is going to trade him, the whole point is to bring back younger talent that can help later. Unless the Twins are convinced they can land a much better expiring-contract player in return - and that seems unlikely - they’d be better off holding onto Ryan for now.
There’s also the broader uncertainty hanging over the league. Many around the industry believe the looming lockout could stretch into the regular season and wipe out games. The owners want a salary cap, the players do not, and neither side looks ready to budge.
If there is a 2027 season and the Twins keep Ryan at least into it, they could still revisit the situation at the deadline if they wind up selling.
Ryan’s 2026 season showed both sides of the equation. He opened the year brilliantly, putting up a 2.85 ERA with 128 strikeouts over 110 1/3 innings.
Then a glute injury limited him to just seven starts after the All-Star break, and the results fell apart: a 6.82 ERA over 34 1/3 innings. Since debuting in 2021, Ryan has posted a 3.79 ERA with 878 strikeouts and 179 walks in 786 innings.
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