MLB Rumors: NL Team Linked To Trade for Twins' Joe Ryan

The New York Mets spent the offseason aggressively overhauling their roster, trading Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat to the Milwaukee Brewers to land Freddy Peralta as their new ace. 

They're off to a 3-3 start, and their rotation has looked alright early.

So it shouldn't surprise anyone that the Mets are already being connected to the best starting pitcher likely to hit the trade market this summer. 

Bleacher Report's Zachary Rymer named the Mets as a potential landing spot for Minnesota Twins righty Joe Ryan in his breakdown of the top 10 MLB trade candidates for 2026.

Why Joe Ryan Makes Sense for the Mets

Ryan is 29 years old, coming off a 13-10 record and a 3.42 ERA with 194 strikeouts in 171 innings last season, and he's not a free agent until after 2027 regardless of what happens with his option. 

Joe Ryan has looked DISGUSTING today for Minnesota 👀

Curveball usage up 14% today from last year’s average usage. 6/7 Ks on that pitch alone today

Expect a Cy Young caliber season from the Twins leading man if the back holds up pic.twitter.com/lcitedV9Gd

— Baseball Unstitched (@BaseUnstitched) March 26, 2026

He'd give the Mets two-plus years of a legitimate front-end starter alongside Peralta, a combination that would hold up against any rotation in the National League, including the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

His command has been exceptional over a four-year stretch, walking just 2.1 batters per nine innings, and a 4.8 strikeout-to-walk ratio shows how consistently in the zone he is. 

He opened 2026 with a dominant start (seven strikeouts, zero runs allowed) and showed no signs of regression. 

Why the Twins Would Listen and What It Would Cost

Minnesota is widely projected to be one of the weaker teams in the AL this season, and the front office has already shown a willingness to move talent. We saw them deal 10 major league players at last year's deadline alone, though Ryan wasn't one of them. 

The fact that they held onto him then suggests they believe in his value, but a rebuilding club with a pitcher this good under control through 2027 is inevitably going to hear offers all season long. 

@PitchingNinja, I am going to need some stats on this pitch by Joe Ryan.

This was disgusting 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1c5ApvVT5Y

— js9innings (@js9inningsmedia) March 26, 2026

The Mets have already demonstrated they'll give up real prospects for the right arm, and the Peralta trade proved that. 

Ryan would cost more, both because he's better and because he has more term remaining. 

Over his six-year career, the 29-year-old holds a 3.76 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, with 726 strikeouts across 646.2 innings and 116 appearances. 

Photo Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images