3 Trade Landing Spots For Twins' Joe Ryan
ESPN's Jeff Passan gave Ryan a 55 percent chance of being traded, listing the Cubs, Padres, Athletics, Diamondbacks, Braves, White Sox, Nationals, Blue Jays, and Cardinals among his best fits.
The 30-year-old is having an outstanding season, previously sitting at a 2.85 ERA, before Monday's brutal outing, with strong strikeout and walk rates that place both in the top percentiles of the league.
Ryan allowed six home runs and eight earned runs in Monday's start against the Cleveland Guardians, going just four innings.
Crucially, Ryan is not a rental, as he remains under club control through 2027, which only raises his value.
The complication is that a recent surge has pushed Minnesota into just two games back of the final AL Wild Card spot, muddying what once looked like an obvious sell. Here are three landing spots that make sense.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs have been the most consistently linked team to Ryan and are in desperate need of rotation help.
Chicago has been ravaged by pitching injuries, losing several starters for the season, and Ryan would give them a durable, controllable arm to anchor a rotation for a postseason push and beyond.
The Cubs have the farm system depth to construct a compelling package, and manager Craig Counsell would welcome the kind of frontline stability Ryan provides.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays have been hit hard by injuries to their rotation and could use another reliable arm.
Toronto recently reached the World Series and was two outs away from finishing the job, so adding a controllable starter like Ryan would fit a team trying to get back over the top.
His years of control also fit with a Blue Jays club that has shown a willingness to spend and add for both the present and future.
St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals are a surprise contender in the NL Central, and Ryan would be a logical fit.
St. Louis president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom could view Ryan's durability, swing-and-miss stuff, and postseason upside as the justifiable anchor for a rotation that has needed a top-end arm.
Since Ryan is under control through 2027, he would give the Cardinals a foundation piece rather than a short-term rental, fitting a team that is competing ahead of schedule.
Whether the Twins actually sell is the biggest question, as their surprising climb into the Wild Card race has forced the front office to weigh a postseason push against the long-term benefit of a premium prospect haul.
If Minnesota does make Ryan available, he will be one of the most coveted pitchers on the market.
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