Minnesota Twins Get Joe Ryan Trade Deadline Prediction

The Minnesota Twins will have some tough decisions to make as the MLB trade deadline approaches. There is still no telling which direction Minnesota will go, and the team is likely employing a wait-and-see strategy to determine whether buying or selling makes more sense. What they should not do is stand pat and do nothing.

If the decision ends up being selling, the most intriguing candidate becomes right-hander Joe Ryan. It would be Byron Buxton, but both Buxton and the front office have made it clear he is not on the table.

Ryan, however, would be extremely difficult for teams to acquire, and for good reason. Across 21 starts this year, the 30-year-old veteran has posted a 3.38 ERA with 131 strikeouts across 114 1/3 innings and a 6-6 record.

He earned his second straight All-Star selection this year and has continued to be one of the most reliable and durable arms in the league, starting 30 games last season and on pace to do so again.

Moving Ryan would bolster the farm system considerably, but it would clearly be a huge loss for the roster and would eliminate any chance the Twins have of earning an American League wild card spot.

Whether or not they trade him is hard to predict. ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel weighed in on his chances of being dealt, ranking the top 100 most likely trade candidates in baseball and placing Ryan on the list with a 35% chance of being moved. That indicates they believe he is more likely to stay than go.

"Ryan was one of the lone survivors after the Twins' teardown last deadline and Minnesota was deep into discussions on deals involving him as well. So a move would surprise nobody, particularly considering that Ryan looks better than ever this season," the outlet wrote.

It would be a tough pill to swallow for Twins fans if Ryan were dealt. He has been one of the biggest bright spots for this club since arriving via trade from the Tampa Bay Rays back in 2021 in a deal Minnesota has clearly won.

But if the Twins determine they cannot make the postseason, the best path forward is building for the future, and trading Ryan would yield one of the best deadline hauls available given that he is under team control through 2027 and pitching in the prime of his career.