Whether Joe Ryan actually ends up pitching in Boston one day remains to be seen. But he sure caused a brief stir during the Midsummer Classic when his name was in daily trade rumors.
That was not planned, Ryan said.
Ryan represented the Minnesota Twins at the All-Star Game last year, just weeks ahead of a trade deadline in which he was widely expected to be moved. The Boston Red Sox were among the teams linked to him, so it got more than just a little attention when a photo emerged of him walking alongside Garrett Crochet.
Gasoline was then poured on the fire when Alex Bregman, then with the Red Sox, posted a photo with Crochet and Ryan on Instagram.
The Twins, of course, opted to hold on to him, and he remains at the front of their staff entering 2026. Ryan told Rob Bradford on Audacy's Baseball Isn't Boring podcast that he wasn't trying to instigate anything.
"Definitely not. No. Definitely not planned, but it was funny," Ryan said.
"I wasn't seeking a trade by any means; I don't want to get traded in that way. So, I think you're just kind of listening to the noise, and I think the 'fun' or whatever I want to say about that is more just the -- you don't really have control over that situation. So, you have to be open to 'Hey, anything can happen, but at the same time I'm going to stay where my feet are at and enjoy my time in Minnesota and try to win as many games as we can and be the last team on the field.'"
With Pablo Lopez out for the year, the Twins need Ryan to pitch like a bona fide ace. They did little this offseason to improve the team around him, so Minnesota's start to the season will be closely monitored by teams hoping they quickly fall out of contention and entertain trade talks.
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