The New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers could pursue one of Minnesota Twins’ most reliable players.
The Minnesota Twins missed the postseason for the second straight season after finishing 70-92 in 2025. It marked another disappointing campaign for a team that had expected to be competitive in the American League Central.
While the Twins’ offense struggled with inconsistency throughout the year, their starting rotation remained one of the few dependable strengths on the roster.
Led by Pablo López, Joe Ryan, and Bailey Ober, Minnesota boasts multiple starters capable of pitching near the top of a playoff team's rotation. With all three of them remaining on the roster after last season's trade deadline fire sale, rival clubs have continued to sniff around, hoping to add them to their rotation.
Among the pitchers drawing the most attention is Ryan, a 29-year-old starter who has quietly developed into one of the most consistent strikeout pitchers in the American League. With two years of team control remaining and a track record of durability and command, Ryan has become one of the most coveted starting pitchers on the market.
If Ryan becomes available, CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa believes the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers would immediately stand out as logical destinations.
Why Joe Ryan Fits the Yankees and Dodgers
The Yankees finished the 2025 season with a 94-68 record but were eliminated in the AL Division Series, falling short of a deep postseason run despite a strong regular season. Their rotation was anchored by Max Fried, who led the team with 19 wins and a 2.86 ERA, while Carlos Rodon paced the staff with 203 strikeouts. Behind them, the Yankees relied on pitchers such as Clarke Schmidt and Will Warren, but the back half of the rotation often fluctuated due to injuries and workload concerns.
Ryan would fit naturally into that group as a high-end starter. His profile, a career 10.09 strikeouts per nine innings, and durability will provide innings stability behind Fried and Rodon, and reduce the pressure on New York’s bullpen.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, enter 2026 as the reigning back-to-back World Series champions, continuing a sustained run as baseball’s most dominant organization. Their rotation features elite talent such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani, with additional depth provided by pitchers like Roki Sasaki, who manager Dave Roberts projects to regain a rotation role after being a bullpen arm this past October.
However, the Dodgers have also dealt with frequent pitching injuries in recent seasons. For example, Glasnow missed time during 2025 due to a shoulder injury, while Ohtani did not pitch at all in his first season with the Dodgers and the team will always be careful with his workload. As a result, Los Angeles could consider adding a reliable pitcher like Ryan who can eat innings and provide consistency.
Ryan developed into the anchor of Minnesota’s rotation after making his major-league debut in 2021, with his 2025 season being the best of his career so far. He appeared in 31 games (30 starts) last season and posted a 13-10 record with a 3.42 ERA across a career-high 171 innings. Ryan also recorded 194 strikeouts and finished the year with a 1.04 WHIP.