How Twins could follow Brewers' example amid Joe Ryan trade rumors

Jul 07, 2026 - 21:20

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How Twins could follow Brewers' example amid Joe Ryan trade rumors originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Minnesota Twins are 44-47 on the regular season entering play on July 7, and they're just 1.5 games out of the Wild Card and 4.0 out of the AL Central lead.

But this team is still one of many constantly at the center of trade rumors as prospective sellers. They haven't shed that label yet, and might not after the Byron Buxton injury. There's no player this trade direction pertains to more than Joe Ryan.

MLB insider Robert Murray of Fansided.com highlighted how the Twins, amid these Ryan trade rumors, could follow the Milwaukee Brewers' example and decide to part ways with their All-Star ace now for a haul to drastically improve their farm system.

Twins could follow Brewers' example with potential Joe Ryan trade

"Keep in mind: this is around the time when the Milwaukee Brewers either 1) considered trading or 2) traded their star pitchers in Corbin Burnes, Josh Hader, Devin Williams and Freddy Peralta," Murray writes. "Parting with them ensured they landed the prospect capital to stay competitive."

The Twins are now in the same boat the Brewers were with their own good pitchers, all of whom they traded away for solid returns over the last few years.

As Murray notes, "In the Twins' case, parting with Ryan, and landing a package of prospects, would further bolster an already top-10 rated farm system."

If the Twins aren't seeing themselves as World Series contenders in 2026 or in 2027, then trading Ryan before he hits free agency would make the most sense.

They could get a compensatory pick in the MLB Draft for losing him in free agency, but trading him this summer for a haul would make the most sense.

MORE: Blue Jays trade idea swaps two top-10 prospects to Mets for Freddy Peralta

The Brewers did something similar with their pitchers, and, as seen recently with Peralta being dealt to the New York Mets, the Brewers are clear winners of that trade.

Minnesota could try to repeat that success and trade Ryan this summer for a haul, just as they did a year ago with the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays for Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax.

Ryan would surely bring back a huge return as an All-Star pitcher who, this season in 19 starts, has a 3.36 ERA with 122 strikeouts. Teams are bound to have a significant interest in trading for Ryan if he's made available.

Murray outlined how the blueprint left by the Brewers would be a good one to follow, and if the Twins wish to trade Ryan, they should use the Brewers as the example to follow for why such trades could wind up working out just fine.