Minnesota Twins cap on the field during Spring Training on Feb 13, 2025 on Lee County, FL, USA. Credit: Chris Tilley-Imagn Images Chris Tilley-Imagn Images

Red Sox Predicted To Acquire Twins All-Star In Major Offseason Blockbuster

Originally posted on Boston Red Sox on SI
By Jackson Roberts | Last updated Aug 14, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Will the Boston Red Sox's most recent trade failure prove to be the best motivation for the coming offseason?

It's been the subject of many debates, and even conflicting reports, as to how close the Red Sox truly got to acquiring Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan at the July 31 deadline. But the simple fact is, Ryan remains a Twin and Boston's rotation is still full of question marks as the playoff push continues.

Whether the Red Sox make the playoffs or not, the need in the rotation will still be present entering the offseason. Walker Buehler seems like a cinch to be gone, Dustin May may very well join him, and Lucas Giolito has a conditional player option that vests if he throws another 39 2/3 innings.

Will Red Sox trade for Joe Ryan this winter?

The Red Sox clearly wanted Ryan, whether they came close to getting him in actuality or not. According to Rob Bradford of WEEI, their offers included packages containing two of their three top prospects -- infielder Franklin Arias, left-handed pitcher Payton Tolle, and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia.

Will those same prospects be on the table this winter, when the price might hypothetically drop? That might be the question that ultimately determines whether a deal gets done, as Ryan, the first-time All-Star, will still have immense trade value with two years left under contract.

In a recent YouTube video, content creator and analyst Robbie Hyde predicted that Boston would be persistent enough to finally lure Ryan from the Twins' grasp in the coming offseason.

"When it came to last year's trade deadline, teams, including the Red Sox, tried to pry away (Garrett) Crochet from the (Chicago) White Sox, but he ended up staying put, and ended up going to the Red Sox in the offseason," Hyde said. "I say the same thing happens here with Ryan."

"With the Red Sox having one of the better farm systems in the game, I say they figure out a way to hammer out a deal."

The 29-year-old Ryan had a promising career from 2021 through last season, but he's officially taken things to the next level. He picked up his 12th win of the season on Wednesday night against the New York Yankees, dropping his ERA to 2.72 and raising his bWAR to an even 5.0.

The original idea was that the Red Sox could acquire Ryan to be the ideal No. 2 behind ace Crochet, but he's not pitching like he deserves to be second to anyone. If Boston could trot out co-aces in 2026, they'd be downright scary to face.

Of course, all of this is contingent on the Twins agreeing to part ways with Ryan -- and based on the tumultuous ownership situation they've endured, that could easily swing either way.

This article first appeared on Boston Red Sox on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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