Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Twins face pressure to trade Joe Ryan as ownership pushes for payroll cuts and a rebuild this offseason.
- The Twins commitment to adding young talent makes a deal involving a controllable starter more likely than ever.
- The Dodgers see a clear path to deepening their rotation with a proven arm, even at the cost of key prospects.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are favorites to trade for Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, should they choose to deal him at all. However, an emerging backup plan has emerged for Skubal, and that's Minnesota Twins ace Joe Ryan. While the Twins remain alive in the AL Wild Card race, the same can be said of the Tigers and just about every down-and-out team in the American League.
Twins ownership is committed to cutting payroll. The front office wants to add to the farm system in hopes of expediating their rebuild. Thus trading Ryan, who still has a year left on his contract after this season, makes a lot of sense. For the Dodgers, acquiring an asset who could headline their starting rotation in 2027 (assuming we have an MLB season at all) is more enticing than trading the farm for a half-season of Skubal.
What a Dodgers trade package for Twins ace Joe Ryan would look like
Trading for Ryan will not come cheap. While Skubal can be had for a top-100 prospect and filler, the same cannot be said of Ryan, who has better statistics, more starts under his belt and a year left on his deal following the 2026 season.
Yet, that's exactly what should make Ryan so enticing for the Dodgers. Los Angeles' rotation is stacked with talent, but they've learned year after year that they cannot count on Tyler Glasnow and even Blake Snell to remain healthy. And as great as Shohei Ohtani has been on the mound this year, his status as a two-way player also puts his health at risk.
Would the Minnesota Twins make this trade for Joe Ryan?
To trade Ryan and his year-plus of control, the Twins would want a lot back in return. The Dodgers farm system is stocked full of outfield talent. Sirota, who 39th-ranked prospect in all of baseball, is actually the third-best outfielder in the Dodgers system. Sirota has 55-grade hit and power tools, and his 60-grade run tool makes him a threat on the basepaths.
Ryan is the Dodgers top-ranked pitching prospect and had the most electric stuff in their system before he suffered a season-ending injury back in 2024. So far this year, he has a 4.46 ERA in Triple-A Oklahoma City and is working his way back to the big-league club should they need his services. Odds are he would slide right into the Twins rotation when healthy.
Root, who was selected with the 40th-overall pick in 2025, is the cherry on top. He is the Dodgers second-ranked left-handed pitching prospect and has a 2.65 ERA in A-ball.
Verdict: Yes
Why the Dodgers would consider this trade for Joe Ryan
The Dodgers have one of the top farm systems in baseball for a reason. While trading two top-100 prospects away is painful, it's necessary when trying to win a third-straight World Series. The Dodgers have asked a lot of their starting rotation and bullpen in back-to-back postseason runs. Acquiring Ryan would lighten the load on everyone, including Ohtani this October.
Los Angeles can afford to part with Sirota, as Zyhir Hope and Eduardo Quintero are both ranked above him per MLB Pipeline. Parting ways with Ryan and Root will sting, no doubt, for a farm system that lacks much starting pitching talent. Yet, Ryan comes with significant injury risk, and Root hasn't proven anything in the upper levels of the minor leagues just yet.
Joe Ryan is a proven product. The Dodgers rotation — already considered one of the best in MLB when fully healthy — would have no weaknesses in a seven-game series with Ryan added to the mix.
Verdict: Yes
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