The Los Angeles Dodgers signing Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz after winning their second straight World Series title has fans of the other 29 MLB teams claiming that they've broken baseball. While I wouldn't go that far, the Dodgers are clear favorites to three-peat and have the ability to do more.
If the Dodgers are able to pull this deal off with the Minnesota Twins before Opening Day, fans who believe they've broken baseball might actually have a point. The scariest thing is that it could very well happen.
Dodgers can break baseball by acquiring Twins All-Stars
Now this is a deal that can really break baseball. It involves nine players and a pair of All-Stars, both of whom would be going to Los Angeles. Yet, it feels like it can conceivably happen.
The Dodgers would be acquiring the Twins' two best players, Joe Ryan and Byron Buxton, and parting with a mix of MLB and minor league talent, accelerating the Twins' rebuilding efforts. As crazy as it might seem on paper, here's why the deal makes sense for both sides.
Why the Dodgers would accept this trade
Why the Dodgers would accept this trade is quite simple: they'd be getting much better. Joe Ryan is quickly establishing himself as one of the better starting pitchers in the American League, and Byron Buxton, when healthy, is an elite center fielder. They are clear upgrades in their rotation and outfield, respectively. Sure, they'd be losing valuable rotation depth by parting with guys like Emmet Sheehan, River Ryan and Gavin Stone, but look at their rotation with Ryan.
Dodgers Rotation Order | Name |
|---|---|
SP1 | Yoshinobu Yamamoto |
SP2 | Shohei Ohtani |
SP3 | Joe Ryan |
SP4 | Tyler Glasnow |
SP5 | Roki Sasaki |
SP6 | Justin Wrobleski |
Oh yeah, Blake Snell will factor in at some point as well. The Dodgers still have ridiculous depth, and would field one of the best postseason rotations in recent memory if everyone is healthy. I mean, Tyler Glasnow would probably be bumped to the bullpen, which is just insane.
What's even more insane is what their lineup would look like. Yes, Andy Pages is coming off a very strong regular season, but he was a liability offensively throughout the postseason, and Buxton is just a phenomenal five-tool talent. While there are obvious injury concerns, the Dodgers are scary enough that they'd only really need him to be healthy in October for a potential postseason run.
The Dodgers would be giving up a ton in this package, but the only surefire starters of the bunch are Sheehan and Pages. Ryan and Buxton are very clear upgrades, and they're both under club control through 2027 at least. The Dodgers are a team trying to win as much as they can in the next couple of years, and this deal would help them do just that. It's not as if extensions are out of the realm of possibility either.
Why the Twins would accept this trade
The team that'll really need convincing is the Twins, but this is a deal they should take for a couple of reasons. First, they really should be in rebuilding mode. They sold off half their team at the 2025 trade deadline, and are very clearly not trying to win right now anyway. Why not sell high on Buxton, an injury-prone outfielder in his 30s, and on Ryan, a pitcher only under control through 2027 who they're unlikely to extend anyway? Second, and more importantly, they'd be receiving a haul.
Pages might not be as good as Buxton, but he just hit 27 home runs, just turned 25 years old, and he's under control through 2029. Josue De Paula is one of the best prospects in the sport, and could conceivably be ready to debut late this season if he performs strongly.
On the pitching side, Emmet Sheehan just posted a sub-3.00 ERA in 2025, has lights-out stuff, is only 26, and is under control through 2029. He has frontline starter potential and could help the Twins out right away. Gavin Stone and River Ryan both missed all of 2025 due to injuries but have both shown flashes of upside in brief MLB stints and would come with several years of control.
Dalton Rushing and Alex Freeland would provide depth behind the plate and in the infield. Ryan Jeffers is on an expiring contract, and Rushing was recently one of the sport's top prospects. As for Freeland, he can slot in at second base, third base and shortstop.
As painful as it is to part with Ryan and Buxton, the Twins would receive a rare blend of immense upside and depth. They'd receive a ton of quantity, but also a lot of quality. Given the unlikelihood of them competing with Ryan and Buxton, trading them now, while their values are sky-high, for this kind of return, is what's best for Minnesota, even if their fans and MLB fans all over the globe aren't happy.