Red Sox ‘monitoring' Twins pitcher ahead of trade deadline: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Red Sox must upgrade their starting pitching if they hope to stay in the postseason hunt. It appears the Craig Breslow-led front office is already doing its due diligence with the 2025 MLB trade deadline looming.
On Wednesday, Jon Morosi of MLB Network named the Red Sox as one of the teams “monitoring” Minnesota Twins right-hander Joe Ryan as a potential trade candidate.
“They could be a buy-and-sell posture with a focus on adding a longer-term arm to the starting rotation,” Morosi said of the Red Sox. “And the man that the Red Sox and a number of teams in the Major Leagues are monitoring, at least right now, (is) Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins. Ryan has been excellent so far this season. … I think he’s one of the best starting pitchers in the American League and he’s only getting better.”
Shortly after mentioning Ryan as a Red Sox trade target, Morosi noted that Minnesota will “need to be out of the AL postseason picture and completely overwhelmed by an offer” to part ways with the 29-year-old. The Twins are currently 14 games back in the AL Central and four games back in the Wild Card race.
Ryan is in the midst of the best season of his five-year MLB career. Through 18 games (17 starts), he boasts a 2.76 ERA and 0.89 WHIP with 116 strikeouts and 21 walks in 104.1 innings. He would immediately slot in as a rock-solid No. 2 starter in the rotation behind ace Garrett Crochet.
As Morosi mentions, Ryan will be costly as a frontline starter under team control through 2027. But if the Red Sox are serious about contending, they’ll have to get uncomfortable and part ways with some of their prized prospects to bring in proven MLB talent. Breslow showed his willingness to trade highly-touted prospects for pitching in the offseason when he sent catcher Kyle Teel to the Chicago White Sox for Crochet.
Perhaps the Red Sox would sweeten the trade package by including 2024 All-Star Game MVP Jarren Duran. Boston’s outfield logjam with the emergence of MLB’s No. 1 prospect Roman Anthony has made Duran the subject of trade rumors ahead of the deadline.
“Jarren Duran posts,” Morosi added. “And not to necessarily say that this would be the deal, Ryan for Duran, but the Twins (are) a team that has needed guys that post consistently.
“Duran would fit very nicely for the long term in a lineup like what the Twins have. I’m not putting two and two together and getting 10, but these are just scenarios where the Red Sox, when you’ve already traded Rafael Devers, what’s one more consistent, everyday player who’s been an All-Star in the past in Jarren Duran?”
The 2025 MLB trade deadline is set for 6 p.m. ET on July 31.
