The Minnesota Twins could have done themselves a favor with a victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. A win would have moved the Twins to the .500 mark on the season, and with the trade deadline approaching, a louder case could have been made that, at the very least, Minnesota should stand pat and see if their pitching staff getting healthy can be a reason they climb back into contention.
Instead, the Twins are 47-49 on the season, and the impression from most insiders is that they will be sellers at the deadline. The question becomes what type of sellers will the Twins be. While conventional wisdom suggests the Twins may only look to move players who are free agents after the season, there have been whispers that starting pitcher Joe Ryan could be made available.
Those whispers led to Jon Heyman constructing a wild trade idea between the Twins and New York Mets. The premise was one-stop shopping for contenders, and Heyman has the Mets addressing all their needs on their pitching staff with the Twins' proposal.
Insider trade pitch has Mets fleecing the Twins in broad daylight
It needs to be remembered that Heyman covers the Mets for a living, so that could speak to why this deal is lopsided. Jett Williams being in the deal feels like the ideal start of a framework of a trade involving Ryan, but Sproat being the only other piece in a deal that ALSO has the Twins trading away Louis Varland and Danny Coulombe is a dramatic underpay from the Mets.
Varland is in the middle of a breakout season while pitching out of the Twins' bullpen, posting a 1.81 ERA in 46 appearances. Important context is that Varland isn't arbitration eligible until 2027, and as such, is under team control until 2031. Coulombe would be a rental but has been dominant, posting a 0.68 ERA in 35 appearances.
So, to recap, Heyman has the Twins giving up a cost-controlled All-Star starting pitcher in Ryan, a cost-controlled breakout reliever in Varland, and a dominant rental relief pitcher for just two prospects. That's not to undersell Williams, who is the No. 44 prospect in baseball, but with the premium that pitching costs at the deadline, this ideal would lead to the entire Twins' front office being fired for merely considering such a move.