After what was a successful 2025 season, the Chicago Cubs will be entering next season with expectations that they are unfamiliar with. While they aren’t expected to re-sign him, Kyle Tucker remains one of the top free agents in this year’s class.
However, there are other ways to get involved in MLB’s hot stove season, and it’s by making meaningful trades. At the top of the Cubs’ offseason wishlist is starting pitching help, and a trade with the Minnesota Twins for starter Joe Ryan would be ideal for having a successful offseason.
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Joe Ryan Tabbed As Top Trade Candidate; Cubs’ Owen Caissie Floated as Trade Piece
In MLBTradeRumors.com’s list of the top 40 trade candidates this offseason, Joe Ryan comes in at No.2 on the list, and he is practically the only player still on the Minnesota Twins who was not traded back in July.
CBSSports’ Matt Snyder recently did an offseason preview for the Chicago Cubs, and he floats Owen Caissie’s name as a trade option:
“In that same vein, young outfielder Owen Caissie and/or young catcher/DH Ballesteros could also be floated in trade talks if offseason moves put established big-leaguers in front of them on the organizational depth chart. They’ve earned the right to get an extended look in the majors instead of toiling in the minors. ”
What Snyder is alluding to is the fact that if the Cubs go out and make meaningful signings, that may push Owen Caissie and Moises Ballesteros out of the current picture, which makes them subject to trade.
The truth is, the Cubs have a surplus of outfielders at the moment, and if Chicago isn’t going to part ways with Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki or Pete Crow-Armstrong, which nothing suggests that they will, then Owen Caissie may be the odd man out.
Joe Ryan’s Trade Value and What Else This Trade Would Take
Joe Ryan should be a top trade option for many teams due to his success record and the fact that he’s under team control through the 2027 season.
He was named to the All-Star team for the first time in his career this season and posted a 3.42 ERA in 171 innings. Part of the Twins’ fire sale earlier this year makes him a prime candidate, but if Minnesota isn’t going to compete next season, why hold onto Ryan? And Owen Caissie could be an anchor in the Minnesota outfield for years to come.
A deal like this wouldn’t just be a player-for-player swap either. The Twins would likely ask for more prospect capital on top of Caissie and an MLB-level player as well. Because Ryan is productive, controllable, and has shown All-Star-level contributions, his trade value is high at the moment.
According to BaseballReference.com, Joe Ryan is projected to go 10-9 next season with a 3.76 ERA in 158 innings and record 172 strikeouts.
What potential teams emerge as suitors for Joe Ryan as the offseason develops will be a big storyline in MLB.
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