Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
There are several key dates scattered throughout the Major League Baseball offseason, and Thursday marked an important one. The Minnesota Twins were required to either reach contract agreements with their arbitration-eligible players or head toward arbitration hearings.
The Twins had a handful of cases to resolve and managed to reach deals with all but one key contributor. It’s been an eventful few months for Joe Ryan, and Thursday added yet another chapter.
Joe Ryan and MN Twins Can’t Come to Terms
Last season, the Minnesota Twins executed one of the more aggressive trade deadlines in recent memory. Poor results down the stretch led to a 70–92 finish and managerial changes this offseason. Ryan’s relationship with the front office appeared strained at times, then seemingly repaired. Now, he remains the lone arbitration-eligible Twin without a contract.
#MNTwins reached agreements with all of their arbitrator-eligible players except Joe Ryan.
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) January 8, 2026
According to The Athletic’s Dan Hayes, the two sides came close to an agreement but ultimately failed to finalize a deal. This isn’t the first time the Twins and Ryan have differed on his value. During the summer, Minnesota reportedly sought a return from the Boston Red Sox that the latter was unwilling to meet.
The next step is the exchange of arbitration figures between Ryan’s representatives and the Twins. The sides could still compromise and settle before a hearing, but if the gap remains too wide, the case will go before a neutral arbitrator.
MLB Trade Rumors, widely considered the gold standard for arbitration projections, estimated Ryan’s 2026 salary at $5.8 million. He earned $3 million in 2025.
Ryan was a first-time All-Star last season for Minnesota. Across 31 appearances (30 starts), he logged 171 innings with a 3.42 ERA (3.74 FIP) and struck out 194 batters, further solidifying himself as one of the Twins’ top two starting pitchers.
Twins Get Other Arbitration Players Under Contract
Beyond Ryan, the Twins had five other players who were arbitration-eligible for 2026. All five reached agreements, avoiding hearings entirely.
PlayerPosition2026 SalaryProjectionRyan JeffersC$6.7M$6.6MTrevor LarnachOF/DH$4.475M$4.7MBailey OberSP$5.2M$4.6MRoyce Lewis3B$2.85M$3MCole SandsRP$1.3M
Of that group, Bailey Ober’s deal stood out as the most surprising relative to projections. It’s an unusual moment for Ober to exceed expectations in compensation given how his season unfolded.
Ober posted a 5.10 ERA (4.90 FIP) last year while throwing just 146 2/3 innings. Injuries and ineffectiveness plagued him throughout the season, and his 1.8 home runs allowed per nine innings marked a clear career high. A rebound from Ober may end up being one of the most critical developments for the Twins in 2026.
While it has been reported that Cole Sands also reached an agreement, the financial terms of his deal have not yet been made public.
Mentioned in this article: Bailey Ober Cole Sands Joe Ryan Royce Lewis Ryan Jeffers Trevor Larnach
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