These 3 organizations have the most to offer the Twins in a potential Joe Ryan trade

Minnesota Twins star pitcher Joe Ryan has been one of the biggest names floated around during MLB trade rumors this winter, with numerous clubs interested in his services. Ryan is coming off an All-Star season and comes with two years of team control. The Twins' asking price for Ryan is obviously very high, and it would surely take multiple top prospects in order to land him.

Let's have a look at the three teams that can offer up the best package for Joe Ryan in a potential deal.

New York Mets

In terms of organizational pitching talent, there are very few teams that have as much as the Mets. Their top prospect is 24-year-old right-handed pitcher Nolan McLean. He made eight starts in the majors last year, and pitched to a 2.06 ERA, showcasing outstanding control and movement on his pitches. McLean also had a 2.45 ERA in 113.2 innings between Double-A and Triple-A last year. It would likely be close to a one-for-one swap if the Twins traded Ryan to New York for a package centered around McLean. Another option for the Twins if they choose to do business with the Mets, could be a trade package centered around right-handed pitching prospect Jonah Tong. He had just about as much success in the minors at younger age than McLean, but unlike McLean, he struggled when he got to the majors. Tong is slotted in as the Mets' fourth-ranked prospect. He had an insane 1.42 ERA with 179 strikeouts in 113.2 innings in the upper-minors last year at just 22 years old. The Twins would probably be able to additionally land a mid-tier prospect or two with a package centered around Tong from the Mets. The Twins could also look at Mets outfield prospect Carson Benge, or shortstop prospect Jett Williams, in a potential package for Ryan. Both are top 50 prospects in the game, but they both play positions where the Twins already have a lot of talent in their system.

Boston Red Sox

The team that has probably been floated around the most during Joe Ryan trade rumors has been the Red Sox. They were reportedly in talks with the Twins about Ryan prior to the trade deadline last season, but the two sides weren't close enough in talks to get a deal done. The Red Sox also feature an impressive farm system with lots to offer. The name that sticks out to me the most is their top pitching prospect, which is 6-foot-6 lefty Payton Tolle. He's got a fastball that reaches triple digits, and he struck out 133 batters in 91.2 innings in the minor leagues last season. He struggled in a very brief major league stint, but the 23-year-old is arguably one of the top pitching prospects in the sport. Another intriguing pitching prospect in their system is 23-year-old lefty Connelly Early. He was outstanding in the minor leagues last season, posting a 2.60 ERA in 100.1 innings between Double-A and Triple-A with 130 strikeouts in 100.1 innings. Early also had a brief stint in the majors and pitched well, making four starts and posting a 2.33 ERA in the regular season. Early also started a playoff game for Boston and allowed 3 ER over 3.2 innings. If the Twins were to land Tolle or Early from Boston for Ryan, they likely wouldn't be able to get both. One of them would be the centerpiece, followed by a couple of other mid-tier prospects. If the Twins wanted a position player prospect in return, shortstop prospect Franklin Arias is a name that could be a headliner. He's ranked as the 24th best prospect in baseball, and has one of the best gloves in the minor leagues. The 20-year-old has also already reached Double-A.

Los Angeles Dodgers

If the Twins want position player prospects for Ryan, then the Dodgers might be the best team to do business with. The Dodgers' farm system was ranked as baseball's best by MLB Pipeline, and all of their top five prospects are positon players. 20-year-old center fielder Josue De Paula is widely-regarded as one of the top outfield prospects in the game. He spent most of the season in High-A last year, where he had an .827 OPS while also stealing 32 bases. Zyhir Hope is another highly-regarded outfield prospect in the Dodgers system, whose profile is very similar to De Paula's. Hope is also just 20 years old, and he also spent most of the year in High-A, where he had an .805 OPS and stole 26 bases. Both De Paula and Hope are ranked inside the top 20 on MLB Pipeline's top 100 prospect list. If the Twins wanted Los Angeles to throw in a pitcher in a trade package for Ryan, 6-foot-4 lefty Jackson Ferris would likely be the guy that they would have the most interest in. He's the 6th-ranked prospect in the Dodgers system, and the. 98th-ranked prospect in the majors. Ferris spent all of last season in Double-A at just 21 years old. He made 24 starts there and posted a 3.86 ERA while striking out 135 batters in 126 innings.

With how expensive top-tier starting pitching is in today's MLB, the Twins will have no shortage of compelling offers to choose from if they are serious about trading Ryan and his two years of team control.