What the Minnesota Twins started during the summer is likely to continue in the offseason. The Twins began a teardown of their roster when they traded Carlos Correa to the Houston Astros, Jhoan Duran to the Philadelphia Phillies, Harrison Bader to the Phillies, Willi Castro to the Chicago Cubs and Danny Coulombe to the Texas Rangers. The New York Yankees are conspicuous on this list because of their absence.
There were other moves as well, but the Twins sent a bold message to the rest of the Major League Baseball and their fans that it was all about a rebirth and that it was time to say goodbye to most of their prime veterans.
They did not get rid of all of them, as starting pitcher Joe Ryan and veteran outfielder Byron Buxton remain on the roster. There have been some reports that the Twins are going to hold on to both Ryan and Buxton, but that does not make sense. Why would the Twins want to win 70-75 games next year? That would probably be the best case scenario.
Trading those two as the Winter Meetings get underway or later in the offseason would almost certainly turn the Twins into a team that takes over last place in the American League Central from the Chicago White Sox, but it would also give the Twins enough high-level prospects that would put the team on the right track for 2027 and beyond. (2027 could be a nightmare year for MLB players and fans as a long strike appears looming.)
Both Ryan and Buxton have a ton of value, and we will concentrate on Ryan going to the Yankees in this piece.
Yankees rotation may not be what it seems
Ryan was an All-Star pitcher for the Twins last year, and the 29-year-old right hander should be in his prime as the 2026 gets underway. He had a 13-10 record last year as he started 30 games and was on the mound for a career-high 171.0 innings. Ryan struck out 194 batters and walked 39, giving him a 5-1 strikeout to walk ratio. He also had a career-best 3.42 earned run average.
The Yankees could clearly use Ryan as a starter, and he could be No. 3 or 4 in the rotation. Gerrit Cole returns from a season on the shelf as a result of his Tommy John surgery as a result of a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), and he will eventually take over as the team's top starter. Cole is not expected to begin the season on the active roster, but he should be back early enough to resume his role as the team's ace
Max Fried was a sharp acquisition for the Yankees a year ago, and he was an excellent fill-in at the top spot since Cole was not available. Yankees vice president Brian Cashman knows that Fried is going to be another mainstay for the Bronx Bombers once again.
After top two, the Yankees have issues
The Yankees also have Carlos Rodon and Luis Gil, and Cam Schlittler so emerged at the end of the season and the playoffs for the Yankees. While that trio could fill the 3, 4 and 5 roles, there are no guarantees about any of them.
Rodon is coming off one of the best seasons of his his career with an 18-9 record, a 3.09 ERA along with 203 strikeouts in 195.1 innings. However, the Yankees can't count on the 33-year-old left hander to continue to string top seasons together. He has had problems with inconsistency and injuries in the past, and a big drop off is a legitimate possibility.
Gil demonstrated his ability in 2024 when he had a brilliant season and won the American League rookie of the year award with a 15-7 record, a 3.50 ERA and 171 strikeouts in 151.2 innings while making 29 starts. The follow-up season was not as impressive. He was sidelined by a lat strain for much of the season and he made just 11 starts. Does manager Aaron Boone want to count on him being healthy and available for a full season? Doubtful.
Schlittler certainly was impressive with his effort against the Boston Red Sox in the decisive Wild Card game, but the young phenom still has much to prove. He had a 4-3 record last season with a 2.96 ERA in 73.0 innings, but that's just a jumping off point.
Ryan would fit in perfectly as the No. 3 starter. Rodon and Gil may not like it, but Ryan will give the Yankees a trio of starters that Boone can count on with confidence.
Yankees must send key prospects to Twins for Ryan
Spencer Jones looks like the Yankees' top prospecs, and his name has been mentioned when it comes to acquiring top veteran players. He is not an untouchable.
While most observers believe that Jones would be made available for a top offensive player, a dependable starting pitcher like Ryan could turn out to be a difference maker for the team. Jones has the potential to hit at least 35 home runs at the big league level.
Further down the list is right-handed pitcher Carlos Lagrange. Combining Lagrange and Jones could net the Yankees a top pitcher like Ryan.
The Twins may also need a draft choice from the Yankees — 3rd or 4th round — but Jones and Lagrange would give the Twins two excellent building blocks for the future
