Joe Ryan or Pablo Lopez? If the Twins only keep one of the two star pitchers, who should it be? The latest from a reputable insider suggests that only one of the two will be wearing a Minnesota uniform in 2026.
“Potential trade partners believe the Twins will deal one of their co-aces, not both,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Tuesday.
What other teams think and what the Twins are thinking might be two separate things, but there are a lot of dots connecting Minnesota to potential trades of one or both of their frontline starting pitchers. Let’s do a little rewind…
Buster Olney said the potential 2027 MLB lockout could prompt the Twins to trade Ryan and/or Lopez before the 2026 season begins, simply because their value might decline if the reality of the 2027 season being cut short or canceled entirely becomes more likely.
Ryan and Lopez are under team control through the 2027 season, which means 2026 could be their last season of actually playing before they’re eligible for free agency ahead of the 2028 season.
The other big talking point to consider is that if the Twins trade Lopez or Ryan, the odds of Byron Buxton requesting a trade might go up. The Athletic’s Dan Hayes reported recently that Buxton might consider waiving his no-trade clause if the Twins blow up the roster more than they already did when they traded 10 core players before last season’s MLB trade deadline.
What will the 2026 rotation look like if Lopez or Ryan is traded? Based on starters currently on the roster and in the team’s farm system, the guys competing for a spot in the rotation include Bailey Ober, Taj Bradley, Mick Abel, Simeon Woods Richardson, Zebby Matthews, and David Festa.
If the Twins aren’t planning on paying big money to Ryan or Lopez before the end of the 2027 season, then getting something for them sooner than later would be better than losing them for nothing. We’ll have to wait and see what the Twins do, because nobody really knows what the payroll situation is under the Pohlad ownership group and their new minority partners.
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