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With the rumors surrounding the Boston Red Sox in the aftermath of the trade deadline, one of the names that the team was connected to was Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Ryan. While there were rumblings of what the Red Sox didn't want to give up for Ryan, the latest reporting gives insight into when both teams were actively talking around Ryan.
In Dan Hayes' recent column for The Athletic, he would highlight how Ryan even though he had been traded to Boston last Friday and how Minnesota's presideny of baseball operations Derek Falvey had to deny it. Looking at the possible deal, both teams “never gained traction” on a trade, and when the Red Sox did “seriously engage,” it was 15 minutes before the deadline.
“Though he couldn’t on Friday because Ryan was starting, Falvey felt compelled on Saturday to discuss what the pitcher described as a ‘fake trade' to the Red Sox to clear the air,” Hayes wrote. “Ryan said late Friday he thought he’d been traded because of an incorrect report and continued to believe it until the deadline passed and no deal was announced.”
“But a source said Falvey clarified to Ryan on Saturday that talks between the Twins and Red Sox never gained traction,” Hayes continued. “Team sources said, unlike most teams that worked ahead on trade concepts, which allowed the Twins ample time to prepare for deals involving non-rental players, Boston didn’t seriously engage until 15 minutes before the deadline. By that point, the teams struggled to quickly agree on basic elements of a deal, and the Twins declined to pursue a trade.”
What the Red Sox were “unwilling” to give up for Joe Ryan
Looking at the deals made, the arguably most notable one was the Red Sox acquiring Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Dustin May, but the link to Ryan was well-known. Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic would speak about how, from Minnesota's side, Boston was “unwilling” to part with anything exciting about their top prospects.
“As the minutes ticked closer to Thursday’s 6 p.m. ET trade deadline, the Boston Red Sox reached out to the Minnesota Twins about coveted starter Joe Ryan,” McCaffrey wrote. “But according to league sources briefed on discussions from the Twins’ side, talks fell apart when the Red Sox were unwilling to offer any of their big-league outfielders or an enticing enough package of their top-tier prospects.
“Jhostynxon Garcia, the Red Sox’s top outfield prospect, was in the mix to be in the deal,” McCaffrey continued. “But despite Boston’s highly regarded farm system, sources said that the rest of the haul offered was not substantial enough to land Ryan, owner of a 2.82 ERA and whose value is enhanced by being under team control through 2027.”
At any rate, the Red Sox are looking to improve after the trade deadline, as the team is currently 62-51, which puts them second in the AL East. Boston starts a three-game series on Monday night as they take on the Kansas City Royals.
