Twins rumored to like young Mets pitcher as possible Joe Ryan trade return

Offseason trade rumors continue to swirl around the Twins' two frontline starting pitchers, Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez. The latest comes from insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post, who recently reported that Ryan is among starters the Mets are interested in targeting to upgrade their rotation.

The other important note from Heyman is that the Twins are believed to like young Mets pitching prospect Jonah Tong, which implies that he'd be their target as the headliner of the return if they were to deal Ryan to New York.

There isn't much more to say about the Ryan trade possibility than has already been said. He's a 29-year-old coming off an All-Star season in which he had a 3.42 ERA and nearly 200 strikeouts. He'll cost $6 million in 2026 and has two more arbitration years remaining after this one.

No serious team with designs on winning would trade such a player. But as of now, the Twins and their cost-cutting, debt-riddled owners do not appear to have any plans to try to compete next season. So even though dealing Ryan would hardly save much money, it's clearly something the organization is considering as they teeter on the edge of leaning into a total teardown and rebuild.

If the Twins are going to trade Ryan, they'd better at least capitalize on his current value and get a big return. A package centered around Tong would certainly qualify as such.

A 22-year-old from Ontario, Canada, Tong was drafted by the Mets in the seventh round out of high school in 2022. He saw his prospect stock take off during a 2024 season where he had a 3.03 ERA with 160 strikeouts, 47 walks, and just three home runs allowed across three levels of the minors.

His 2025 minor-league season was even more dominant. Last year, between Double-A and Triple-A (though mostly the former), Tong recorded a 1.43 ERA with 179 strikeouts and 47 walks in 113.2 innings. He gave up two home runs.

After just two starts at AAA, Tong was called up and made his MLB debut at the end of August. He wasn't quite ready for the jump. Tong made five starts in the big leagues and had a 7.71 ERA over 18.2 innings, with 22 strikeouts and 9 walks. He allowed three home runs.

Still, Tong's ceiling remains quite high. He's ranked as the Mets' fourth-best prospect and the No. 46 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline. The 6'1" righty has a 70-grade fastball and a strong changeup to go with a slider and curveball. Most notably, he has an unusual, Tim Lincecum-style overhead delivery that generates substantial extension and deception. He also doesn't turn 23 until June.

Jonah Tong's Mechanics. pic.twitter.com/GDQjm7N7s4
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 29, 2025

Trading Ryan would be hard to stomach for Twins fans who already dealt with the team's fire sale before the trade deadline this summer. But if ownership insists on a rebuild, landing a pitching prospect of Tong's caliber for Ryan has to be a priority for the front office.

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