The Philadelphia Phillies may have had a nightmare start to the 2026 MLB season, but they have bounced back in a major way since. At the time of this writing, the Phillies are second in the National League East with a strong 49-38 record. They have also won seven out of their last 10 games, so they are only continuing to go in the right direction.
With how well this season has been trending for the Phillies, they should be buyers at the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline. One of their top needs is another impactful starting pitcher. Because of this, they are now being urged to make a push for one of baseball’s top pitcher trade candidates.
In a recent article for ESPN, David Schoenfield urged the Phillies to trade for Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan this month.
“They also need another starter to line up with Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo, as Aaron Nola is unusable in a playoff series and Andrew Painter is back in the minors,” Schoenfield wrote. “The Phillies and Twins struck a big deal last trade deadline for Jhoan Duran, so these front offices have worked together before.”
Given the Phillies’ need for another starting pitcher, it is understandable that they are being viewed as a prime fit for Ryan. He would provide their starting rotation with a significant boost if acquired and would make the Phillies a more difficult team to go up against because of it.
Twins’ Ryan Would Give the Phillies A New Star Pitcher for Front Half of Rotation
When taking a look at the season that Ryan is putting in 2026, it is clear that he would give the front half of the Phillies’ rotation a significant upgrade. The 30-year-old righty is in the middle of a strong 2026 campaign, as he has a 5-5 record, a 3.61 ERA, and 113 strikeouts. With numbers like these, he is the kind of pitcher that a team with high expectations like the Phillies should be making a push for.
Ryan has also been consistently impactful for the Twins over the last few seasons. During the 2025 campaign, he had a 13-10 record, a 3.42 ERA, and 194 strikeouts in 31 games. This was good enough for him to make his first All-Star Game. He also had a 3.60 ERA in 23 appearances for the Twins during the 2024 season. With numbers like these, Ryan has shown that he is a very good pitcher, and he would help out the Phillies in a significant way if acquired from Minnesota.
Twins’ Ryan Would Be More Than a Rental for the Phillies
Another very appealing aspect about Ryan is that he is not eligible to become an unrestricted free agent until the end of the 2027 season. Due to this, he would be more than a rental for the Phillies and would help them beyond the rest of this campaign. That only makes him a more intriguing potential target for the Phillies to consider.
Ultimately, with the Phillies needing pitching help, it would make sense if they struck a blockbuster trade for Ryan. It will be interesting to see if they make a push for him leading up to the deadline, but the fit looks good on paper.
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