The Atlanta Braves figure to be active during this year’s MLB trade deadline, and with just 10 days until the deadline, it’s time to start seriously thinking about what meaningful trades the Braves can make to help put themselves into a better position come October, if they happen to hold on and advance that far, which looks likely as of now.
Perhaps the top trade candidate for the Atlanta Braves right now is SP Joe Ryan from the Minnesota Twins.
Ryan, a 2X MLB All-Star, is enjoying another stellar campaign, and if the Twins are blown away by a trade haul, they could be enticed to offload him.
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Should the Braves Trade for Joe Ryan?
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 05: Joe Ryan #41 of the Minnesota Twins pitches during the seventh inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on July 05, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Per MLBTR.com’s ‘top 35 trade candidates’ for the upcoming deadline, Joe Ryan lands at No. 7 on the list. Anthony Franco writes:
“RHP, Twins ($6.1MM salary plus $100K mutual option buyout, arb-eligible through â27) The Twins surprisingly elected to hang onto Ryan last offseason. An ownership change at the top and a handful of minority investors led Minnesota to stay somewhere in the middle, neither making a genuine effort to contend nor further continuing what seemed like the start of a teardown.”
The only issue/blocker with a trade idea for Joe Ryan is the fact the Twins are still hanging in there in the AL Wild Card picture, and along with several other teams, Minnesota likely believes if they have a strong finish to the season, the MLB playoffs could be a part of their future.
Let’s take a look at what a potential Braves-Twins trade idea could look like for Joe Ryan.
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Looking at a Potential Twins-Braves Trade Including Joe Ryan
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – AUGUST 19: Joe Ryan #41 of the Minnesota Twins reacts after giving up a home run to Shea Langeliers #23 of the Athletics in the third inning of the game at Target Field on August 19, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Joe Ryan’s 2026 stats are: 21 GS, 114.1 IP, 131 SO, 3.38 ERA, 2.2 pWAR, WHIP: 1.102
If the Braves were to trade for Ryan, he would immediately slot in as the No. 2 option in the starting rotation, behind Chris Sale.
Ryan also comes with another year of team control, which may drive the price up just a bit, but here’s a hypothetical package that could be strong enough to land the Twins’ ace:
- Braves receive: SP Joe Ryan
- Twins receive: Owen Murphy (7th-ranked Braves prospect), OF Conor Essenburg (#12 prospect), and RHP Elieser Hernandez.
It’s a three-player trade package for Joe Ryan, which includes two top-15 prospects in the Braves organization and an MLB arm in Hernandez with 5+ years of experience.
Braves fans, would you make this trade for Joe Ryan? Why? Or why not?
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