It appears the Twins will hold on to ace Joe Ryan for now. His name has appeared in numerous trade rumors throughout this offseason, but The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported in early December that the Twins don't plan to move Ryan and want to build around him and their other stars for 2026. While the Twins haven't made any blockbuster moves this offseason, they have made small moves, such as signing Victor Caratini, Josh Bell and Taylor Rogers, suggesting they plan to compete this year.
However, if the Twins aren't in a playoff spot once the 2026 trade deadline on August 3 nears, president Derek Falvey will likely look to deal Ryan, who is under team control through the 2027 season, to lower payroll and bolster their farm system.
The Twins have the talent to make the playoffs this year, but many questions remain about the roster, suggesting a disastrous 2026 season is likely.
Bleacher Report predicts Twins trade Joe Ryan to San Diego Padres at trade deadline
The Padres may be the worst possible trade partner for the Twins. They arguably have the worst farm system in MLB, meaning they likely wouldn't be able to offer the Twins a package for Ryan that is as attractive as other teams would be able to offer for the righty.
The Padres are known to empty their farm system to acquire big-name players, such as Juan Soto and Mason Miller. While a lot of teams tend to be reluctant to surrender their top prospects, the Padres always seem to prioritize winning now over thinking about the future. Still, they don't have many enticing prospects at the moment, making it unlikely they could offer the Twins the best package for Ryan.
Currently, the Padres' best prospects are left-handed pitcher Kruz Schoolcraft and catcher Ethan Salas. The Padres selected Schoolcraft, MLB Pipeline's No. 88-ranked prospect, out of high school in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft. He stands at 6-foot-9 and can throw an upper-90s fastball, an upper-80s changeup and a low-80s slider.
Salas ranked as MLB Pipeline's No. 8 prospect pre-2024 and No. 33 prospect pre-2025. Unfortunately for the young catcher, he is no longer among MLB Pipeline's top-100 prospects. Still, the 19-year-old is arguably the Padres' best prospect.
If the Padres were to acquire Ryan at the trade deadline, Schoolcraft or Salas would likely be the Twins' headliner in the return package for the ace. Both players could be included in the deal as well.
If the Twins do end up moving on from Ryan, they should try to acquire at least one top-50 prospect, which the Padres don't currently have.