Joe Ryan, SP
This would be one of the most painful and frustrating trades to see the Twins make. If the team feels it’s in a financial bind, though, then trading Ryan unfortunately becomes a card the front office can play. He’s probably the most attractive trade chip the Twins have to cash in, as Joe Ryan is just 28-years old and has pitched on an All-Star level the last few seasons.
Last year was perhaps his best step forward. Ryan held opposing hitters to a .223/.275/.409 slash line and set a career high in fWAR. A similar case could be made for the Twins trading Bailey Ober instead, as both pitchers are up for arbitration this winter.
That’s ultimately what this comes down to. If the Twins don’t want to add to the payroll and don’t want to spend in free agency, then trading Ryan might be the best way to acquire assets to improve. It’s a deeply stupid way of going about that, though, as it’s such a loser’s mentality to trade away perhaps the best pitcher in the rotation to avoid spending.
Jose Miranda, 1B/3B
Fo a stretch of games over the summer, Jose Miranda wasn’t just the best hitter on the Twins’ roster he was among the best hitters in all of baseball. Miranda’s turnaround was phenomenal to watch as he went from a guy on the fringe of the roster to a valuable everyday player.
The question here is whether the Twins see him as a key piece of the future. If not, then selling high might be the way to go. It’s a situation nobody could have seen a year ago, when Miranda’s value couldn’t have been lower. He was coming off a season where he battled injuries and poor play, something that coincided with the rise of Royce Lewis.
Miranda both seemingly fits the roster but also doesn’t. He’s not going to start over Lewis at third and won’t fit as a replacement for Brooks Lee at second if he move around the infield. The only logical spot for him is at first base, but it’s unclear if the Twins will want to put him there long term or find someone else to fill in — perhaps bringing back Carlos Santana.
There’s an arguement to be made that Miranda fits at first base enough to stay, and it’s a compelling one to make. If the team is truly set on not spending a penny more than it needs to, then Miranda’s best value could be as trade currency this winter.
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