There has been plenty of speculation since this past July’s trade deadline that the Minnesota Twins could trade one of the top of the rotation starters, Joe Ryan or Pablo Lopez. At one point, Ryan even thought he had been traded to the Boston Red Sox before reports were taken back, and he had in fact not been traded. Pablo Lopez was dealing with a shoulder injury and was on the injured list, so the discussions around him were much more limited than they would have been if he were healthy.
With one or both possibly being traded, let’s take a look at what the acquiring teams may see, or be hesitant about, in acquiring the former All-Star starters the Twins currently have on their roster.
The Twins acquired both Ryan and Lopez via trade. Ryan was acquired in 2021 as the main piece in the return for an aging Nelson Cruz from the Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline. Lopez was acquired in an offseason trade in January of 2023, in a deal for Luis Arraez, which was met with mixed reviews from Twins fans at the time. Both have been in the Twins’ rotation since being acquired.
Comparing the past few years, both have dealt with Teres Major strains. Lopez dealt with this injury in 2025, and Ryan dealt with it in 2024. Not to get too much into the anatomy, but the Teres Major muscle is a part of the shoulder and is a key muscle used in activities like throwing. Both pitchers have dealt with other injuries, with Lopez’s injury history being slightly longer, but he has also been in the majors longer. Lopez also dealt with a forearm injury, which ended his 2025 season prematurely after returning from the shoulder injury that had sidelined him for three months earlier in the season.
Injuries aside, let’s take a look at what an acquiring team will get from each of Ryan and Lopez, assuming they are healthy to start the 2026 season and beyond. Both pitchers are under team control for two more seasons, through the 2027 season. Both pitchers will also be pitching in their age-30 seasons in 2026. Where things differ is that Lopez is being paid $21.75 million for the next two years, and Ryan is controlled via arbitration and projected for a 2026 salary in the $6 million range. Because of this, along with the fact that Ryan was healthier this past season, the Twins would likely get a more robust return for him over Lopez.
Over the past three seasons, Lopez and Ryan have been quite valuable when on the field for the Twins. In that time, Lopez pitched to a 3.44 FIP, while Ryan pitched to a 3.79 FIP. Lopez’s strikeout rate has dipped over the past three years, dropping from 29.3% in 2023 to 23.4% in 2025. At the same time, Ryan’s strikeout rate in that same time has been 28.3% in that same three-year span and has been more consistent. They have both dealt with injuries, but have been worth 8.0 WAR (Lopez) and 8.3 WAR (Ryan), respectively.
Let’s highlight a few teams that may look to trade for one of them and how Ryan and Lopez would fit onto each of their rosters.
Chicago Cubs:
The Cubs have been linked to starting pitching and might be looking to add depth to their rotation. Shota Imanaga accepted the Qualifying Offer for the 2026 season, but the front office may be looking to acquire another arm that is controlled beyond next season. Both Lopez and Ryan would slot into the top portion of the Cubs rotation and help them push for the NL Central crown and make a deeper playoff run.
Boston Red Sox:
This may seem slightly less likely after the acquisition of Sonny Gray. Still, the Red Sox showed interest in Joe Ryan at the trade deadline and may rekindle talks with the Twins on either Ryan or Lopez if they decide they are looking for another rotation upgrade. If acquired, this would likely bump one of Patrick Sandoval or Kutter Crawford into a long relief/spot starter role. Still, it would lengthen the starting rotation, as most teams use over 10 starting pitchers in any given season. Lopez or Ryan would slot in next to Sonny Gray and Bryan Bello as starters who could conceivably start a playoff game, which every team could use, no matter what their depth looks like.
Toronto Blue Jays:
Coming off a loss in the World Series, the Blue Jays are positioning themselves to make another run at taking down the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have won the last two World Series titles. While some may think the Blue Jays are not looking to add another starter after making a run, any team, no matter how successful, could use another playoff-caliber starter. Shane Bieber is returning, but for only one year, so the Blue Jays may look to add either Lopez or Ryan to lengthen their starting rotation depth. They also added a new ace, Dylan Cease, on a seven-year deal, so that they may be less likely than other teams on this list, but every competitive team is looking for every advantage it can get to improve its chances of winning a title. Another thing to keep in mind is that the Twins and Blue Jays have lined up for trades multiple times, first back in 2021 when the Blue Jays acquired Jose Berrios, and more recently at the 2025 trade deadline, when the Twins sent Louis Varland and Ty France to Toronto in return for outfielder Alan Roden and pitching prospect Kendry Rojas.
San Diego Padres:
Speaking of looking to take down the mighty Dodgers, the Padres have been known to leave no stone unturned in looking to be the new kings of the National League West division. AJ Preller, the Padres’ President of Baseball Operations, is known as an executive who will not just sit on his hands but will look to make a splashy move to help the team improve and make a run, not just for the division title but to win a World Series. A prime example of this is trading MLB Pipeline’s #3 prospect Leo De Vries as part of a deal to acquire closer Mason Miller from the Athletics at the 2025 trade deadline. Preller is an executive who will not be happy with the team’s exit in the Division Series and is always looking to make moves to improve the team’s chances of winning the World Series. With Dylan Cease moving on, a potential acquisition of a starting pitcher is likely for the Padres. The Padres and Twins could line up for a trade in the right scenario, as the Padres are looking not only to replace Cease but also to add more starting depth to work with throughout the 2026 season and ideally into the playoffs.
While the Twins do not have to trade either Lopez or Ryan, they could hold on to both to see if the team is competitive before the trade deadline. Derek Falvey, the Twins President of Baseball and Business Operations has said he wants to add, not subtract, but like every head of baseball ops, if given a deal that he just cannot refuse, will he look for a lengthier rebuild instead of trying to rebuild a team on the fly that sold off 10 players at this past year’s trade deadline? We’ll know in the next few months.