The San Diego Padres and Minnesota Twins have a great opportunity to get what both teams need by agreeing to a blockbuster trade ahead of the 2026 MLB season.
The Twins are going to lose Pablo Lopez for the entire season, and the direction of the team does not seem to be moving upward. The Twins should seriously consider trading starting pitcher Joe Ryan and outfielder Byron Buxton to begin the rebuilding process. This ballclub traded away a ton of talent last season ahead of the MLB trade deadline. The odds of them turning things around and improving are slim, and it may be another 5-6 years until they are competitive again.
The Padres do not need Buxton or any outfielder with their three positions set; however, the Padres could be a great trade partner for Joe Ryan as SD aims to improve the rotation to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Milwaukee Brewers in the National League. Five of these six teams made the NL postseason last year, and with the rosters they contain now, there is no telling why they shouldn't all make it back in 2026.
Those teams have deep lineups, and elite starting pitching is hard to find in this league. If San Diego is serious about trading for Joe Ryan, they have a great trade package they could send to the Twins to make things work.
Padres' perfect trade offer for Twins' Joe Ryan
Padres receive: RHP Joe Ryan
Twins receive: RHP Nick Pivetta, RHP Eric Yost (Padres No. 23 prospect in 2025)
Most Padres fans will not like this trade offer. However, you must consider why this offer is being made.
Nick Pivetta's name has swirled around trade rumors in the early parts of the offseason. Not so much lately, as the Padres have signed some major league depth at the position. Walker Buehler, Griffin Canning, and German Marquez all signed within the last week. The Padres now have some depth to form a solid rotation.
The Padres are in an interesting spot with Pivetta. He had a dominant 2025 season, becoming one of the top pitchers in the National League. He now enters what could be his final season with the Padres, as he signed a four-year, $55 million deal in 2025 with opt-outs after the 2026 and 2027 seasons. So, if Pivetta remains an elite starter, he is almost likely to become a free agent and hit the open market at age 34. Do the Padres want to bring back a 34-year-old Pivetta? I'm not sure they would give him the money he deserves.
So, the Padres trade Pivetta to the Twins for Joe Ryan. Ryan is four years younger than Pivetta and will become a free agent after this season, but he does have a mutual option in his contract. Padres general manager A.J. Preller would be much more inclined to extend a 29-year-old starter compared to Pivetta.
Ryan would then become the future of the Padres' rotation for the following 5-6 seasons. The Twins get Pivetta, who can fill the role that Ryan would have had in 2026, while getting a potential Padres' Top-30 prospect for the future. Minnesota is not in a position to be spending a ton of money, and this trade allows the Twins to get something in return instead of letting Ryan walk in free agency after the season.
