Twins remove Joe Ryan from list of players attending TwinsFest

Another reason to wonder how rosy the relationship between Ryan and the Twins is...

Sep 20, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan (41) reacts to Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor’s (23) solo home run during the second inning of game one of a double header at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan was nearly traded during last year's deadline fire sale, and his relationship with the club seems to continue to trend in the wrong direction.

Minnesota and Ryan failed to agree on a new contract before last week's arbitration deadline, due to a difference of reported $500,000 between the parties. The saga took another turn on Tuesday, when The Athletic's Aaron Gleeman reported that Ryan has been removed from the lineup of players scheduled to make an appearance at TwinsFest Jan. 23-24.

Joe Ryan is not expected to attend TwinsFest, per a team source.

Ryan has been removed from the lineup of Twins players scheduled to make an appearance.

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) January 13, 2026

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Ryan was recently named a member of Team USA's World Baseball Classic roster, alongside Twins star outfielder Byron Buxton, who's also not on the list of players scheduled to appear at TwinsFest. It seems like an obvious connection to make, but there could be a dozen reasons why Ryan isn't expected to attend.

Ryan is coming off the best season of his MLB career in 2025. He finished with a career-low 3.42 ERA and 194 strikeouts in 171.0 innings. The 29-year-old was also named to his first career All-Star Game. He has proven himself as a top-tier starting pitcher on just about any rotation in the league.

The 2026 season is set to be Ryan's sixth in Minnesota. His salary in 2026 be decided by an arbitrator, and barring a contract extension with the Twins (or another club if he's traded), he'll be eligible for arbitration again in 2027. He's not due to become a free agent until after the 2027 season.

TwinsFest will begin on Friday, Jan. 23, at Target Field, and it will carry into Saturday, Jan. 24, with appearances from many of the other top players with the club, including Royce Lewis, Luke Keaschall, and Bailey Ober, among others.