The San Francisco Giants need pitching in a bad way. Clearly, it should be one of the top priorities. One potential trade target could bring an All-Star back to California.
Minnesota Twins right-hander Joe Ryan has emerged as an intriguing possibility for the Giants. While Buster Posey will have many candidates to look over, Ryan makes sense to strengthen the starting rotation.
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle believes Ryan should be considered this winter.
Right now there is no indication that the two organizations have engaged in any talks at all, but Ryan is an interesting option.
His experience, paired with his performance and remaining team control, should make him at least a part of the conversation.
He also has connections to the Bay Area, which could add value to both sides of a potential trade.
Joe Ryan Has Strong Giants Connections
Ryan was born in San Francisco, where he attended high school in San Anselmo and grew up cheering for the Giants.
San Francisco took a chance on him by selecting him in the 39th round of the 2014 MLB Draft. He did not sign. Ryan went on to attend Cal State Stanislaus before the Tampa Bay Rays ultimately selected him in the seventh round of the 2018 MLB Draft.
In 2021, he was traded to Minnesota, and from there, he has established himself as one of the best pitchers on the team.
He earned his second All-Star selection in 2026 after finishing with a 7-10 record, 3.79 ERA and 159 strikeouts across 144 2/3 innings of work.
Given that his season was interrupted by a left glute injury in August, those numbers are especially impressive.
While his final ERA wasn’t among the best in MLB, you have to look further into his stats. His ability to limit walks makes him a very valuable asset.
Ryan averaged just 1.9 walks per nine in 2026 and he recorded more than five strikeouts for every walk.
The right-hander has had six MLB seasons where he owns a 3.79 ERA and 878 strikeouts in 786 innings.
Giants Can Afford Ryan
Given his history and his performance, Ryan is not going to be inexpensive.
He remains under team control through the 2027 season on his current contract. That means Minnesota has another full year before potentially losing him in free agency.
But, his contract includes a $13 million mutual option for 2027, but if it is declined, he would be eligible for salary arbitration. That would give the Twins some flexibility. The could choose to retain him for one more year before exploring trade options or they could jump on his current value and try to make something happen now.
On the San Francisco side, it would come down to asking price. The farm system has improved significantly. Baseball America recently ranked it as the No. 4 farm system in baseball.
That gives Posey and general manager Zack Minasian opportunities to pursue talent without giving up players already on the MLB field.
However, just because they have the players doesn’t mean they should be reckless with them regarding trades. Giving up several promising players for one pitcher who only has one guaranteed season of control would require a lot of consideration.
If the Giants could get Ryan to agree to a longer-term deal, it would be a lot more enticing.
Joe Ryan Offers Stability
San Francisco has work to do on the rotation before the start of the 2027 season (assuming there is one).
Logan Webb remains the leader of the crew and Landen Roupp has already proven he can contribute when he is healthy.
Beyond those two, there are a lot of questions.
Carson Whisenhunt and Trevor McDonald underwent Tommy John surgery during the 2026 season. Hayden Birdsong is still recovering from the same. Blade Tidwell suffered a significant elbow injury that took him out and will also require Tommy John surgery.
That’s a lot of blows to a pitching staff that includes long-term recoveries. That’s going to make it very difficult for the organization to rely on internal options to get them through.
Ryan could be an answer. He would be an experienced starter capable of pitching near the top of the rotation. He would be a formidable combination beside Webb and Roupp.
His strikeout ability and excellent control will be a perfect fit for Oracle Park.
There are several options that will be available in free agency and on the international pitching market, but they won’t have the connection to San Francisco. That could mean something.
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