When it comes to the Minnesota Twins, they are one of the early-season surprises this season in MLB. Entering play on Monday night, the Twins are 1.5 games behind the Cleveland Guardians. Who saw the start coming out of spring training?
They have surprised some and have taken advantage of some of their opponents’ struggles. They swept the Detroit Tigers at home and then took two out of three games over the Boston Red Sox. That may not seem like an impressive series win, but they beat Boston’s top two arms, Garrett Crochet and Sonny Gray.
There is still a long way to go until August’s trade deadline, but one thing is for sure: Twins pitcher Joe Ryan is going to be mentioned in a lot of rumors. David Schoenfield of ESPN listed an early trade candidate for each team, and he listed Ryan as Minnesota’s.
Minnesota Twins Joe Ryan Listed As Trade Candidate
There were rumors at the trade deadline last summer about Ryan being moved, and he wasn’t. There were rumors over the offseason that he could have been moved. He wasn’t. There will be rumors again by early August. Schoendfield explained why he could be moved and why he might not.
“Ryan was a popular trade candidate this past offseason, but the Twins kept him and are off to a strong start, even after Pablo Lopez’s season-ending elbow injury. Of course, if they continue to play well, Ryan is more likely to stay put — although we also know the Twins weren’t that far out of the playoff race last trade deadline when they traded 11 players to cut payroll and add prospects. Ryan is under team control through 2027, so that gives him a little added trade value,” Schoenfield wrote.
Schoenfield listed prospects as the need Minnesota would have if a trade is made. If that ends up being a potential return, then it would need to be some highly-ranked prospects. It would likely be a bigger haul than what the Miami Marlins got for Edward Cabrera from the Chicago Cubs over the winter.
Joe Ryan Is Not the Only Minnesota Twins Likely Trade Candidate
Ryan is someone who is always going to be in trade rumors. There is always a need for starting pitching. He would be one of the top arms that teams would covet. The Red Sox are a team that was linked to him both at the trade deadline last year and over the winter.
As much as Ryan is going to be at the center of trade rumors, so is outfielder Byron Buxton. Like Ryan, he could get the Twins a haul in return, prospects included. Generally, the power-hitting outfielders at the trade deadline are hard to come by.
It remains to be seen just who ends up getting moved in a couple of months. A lot of it will depend on where Minnesota is in the standings in the American League Central Division. Whether it’s Ryan or Buxton, the Twins will have no shortage of candidates to trade that could get them a good return.
Minnesota Twins Tabbed To Trade Right-Handed Pitcher if Things Head South