Speculation continues to mount that one of Joe Ryan or Pablo Lopez could be dealt this offseason. The latest hint comes from USA Today’s Bobby Nightengale.
“The Twins, trying to reduce their debt, are trying to decide whether to move (Joe) Ryan or starter Pablo Lopez, who has two years left at $21.5 million a season,” wrote Nightengale on Tuesday.
That comes the same day that ESPN’s Jeff Passan pegged the chances of one of the two Twins star righties being dealt at 50% this offseason.
Ryan was a hot name during the trade deadline this summer, though he wasn’t among the 10 core players who were traded by Minnesota. Instead, the Twins traded Chris Paddack, Carlos Correa, Willi Castro, Ty France, Louis Varland, Griffin Jax, and Jhoan Duran, among others.
Pending labor strife is adding to the questions of Lopez and Ryan’s long-term futures in Minnesota. ESPN’s Buster Olney, in November, noted that teams could be more willing to cash in on their stars this winter due to the possibility of a shortened or vacated 2027 season. Star players’ values are likely to take a hit with the fear that the 2027 season could be lost, meaning teams with those stars will want to cash in when the value is highest.
The height of that value may come next Monday when the league’s annual owner’s meetings take place in Orlando. Passan labeled the Twins as “one of the most fascinating teams this winter” due to the number of key players they could deal.
Lopez has two years left on his deal, at $21.7 million per year, according to Spotrac. Meanwhile, Ryan, 29, also has two years of team control on his contract, and after a career year, he’s viewed as one of the best arms potentially available this winter.
Ryan had a 13-10 record with a 3.42 ERA in 2025. He registered 194 strikeouts in 171 innings. Lopez missed several months of the 2025 campaign due to a right shoulder injury. He returned for three starts in September, when he went 0-1 with a 2.40 ERA in 15 innings.
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