In “Bowden: 5 MLB trades I’d like to see in May, including deals for Ryan Helsley and Joe Ryan,” former MLB general manager Jim Bowden suggested the Minnesota Twins should trade one of their star starting pitchers to the Baltimore Orioles.
Jim Bowden proposes the Twins trade star starting pitcher Joe Ryan to the Orioles in exchange for left-handed starting pitcher Cade Povich, first baseman Coby Mayo and right-handed pitcher Michael Forret
If Minnesota cannot bring itself back into playoff contention, moving Ryan, who is under team control through 2027, would make sense. The Twins have more than $425 million in debt on the books, and the Pohlad family is seeking to sell the team for at least $1.7 billion, according to The Athletic. Moving Ryan would allow the Twins to shed payroll.
The Twins are riding a four-game winning streak and still have a 36.3% chance to make the playoffs according to FanGraphs. They still have a good shot at making a postseason run, but a Ryan trade is definitely in the cards if they cannot.
Meanwhile, the Orioles are currently dead last in a tough American League East, so it might actually make more sense for Baltimore to sell rather than the Twins. However, if both teams are struggling later in the season, the Orioles might still want Ryan, who has 1.2 bWAR this season, given his multiple years of team control.
Ryan, 28, has a 2.93 ERA and 0.90 WHIP with 47 strikeouts in 40 innings this year. He has a 3.84 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 10.1 K/9 in five major league seasons.
Povich, who gave up five runs on six hits against the Twins on Tuesday, was dealt to the Orioles by Minnesota in 2022 as part of the Jorge López trade. He has a 5.55 ERA in 35 ⅔ innings this season after posting a 5.20 ERA in 79 ⅔ innings last year.
Mayo, the No. 11 prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline, made his major league debut last season. He went 4-for-41 with the Orioles last year and is hitless in eight at-bats this season. Mayo can play both infield corners but would most likely play first if dealt to the Twins.
The other piece in Bowden’s proposed trade between the Twins and Orioles, Forret, had a 3.88 ERA in 99 ⅔ innings last season between Low A and High A. He’s been a starter in High A this season, posting a 1.66 ERA with 29 strikeouts across 21 ⅔ innings.