MLB Mock Trade: Minnesota Twins Deal Joe Ryan To Chicago Cubs

Could the Cubs bolster their starting rotation with a 2025 All-Star?

American League pitcher Joe Ryan (41) of the Minnesota Twins pitches during the fourth inning during the 2025 MLB All Star Game at Truist Park. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Cubs have enjoyed a very successful season so far, boasting a 60-42 record and trailing the Brewers by only one game for first place in the NL Central. They sit comfortably atop the NL wild card standings with a 5-game cushion. They should look to be buyers at this season's trade deadline, which is fast approaching. Their biggest current need is assistance with the starting rotation.

With Justin Steele gone for the season, and Jameson Taillon on the shelf with a calf injury, the Cubs have been trying to stay afloat with veteran Colin Rea and youngsters Ben Brown and Cade Horton to fill the pitching holes. Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd have had great seasons at the front end, so the acquisition of Joe Ryan could turn the Cubs' rotation from mediocre to a major strength. 

So what would it take for the Cubs to acquire Ryan from the Minnesota Twins?

Chicago Cubs- Minnesota Twins MLB Mock Trade

Chicago Cubs Receive: 

RHP Joe Ryan

Minnesota Twins Receive:

 OF Kevin Alcantara, Cubs #4 prospect (#78 overall)

RHP Jaxon Wiggins, Cubs #5 prospect ( #93 overall)

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In this proposed deal, the Twins receive two MLB top 100 prospects. Alcantara had a short three-game stint with the Cubs in 2024, picking up one hit in 10 at-bats. This season in 2025, he’s hitting  .264/.349/.457 in Triple-A. The Cubs have a logjam in the outfield, so it makes sense to deal from a position of strength.

The Twins also receive the Cubs' top pitching prospect, Jaxon Wiggins, who has quickly ascended through the minors. After being drafted in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft, he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023. Now, in 2025, he’s pitching to a 2.25 ERA across 36 innings with 48 strikeouts in Double-A.

🚨 KNOXVILLE NO-HITTER 🚨@Cubs prospects Jaxon Wiggins (9 K's), A.J. Puckett + Sam Armstrong team up for @smokiesbaseball's first no-hitter since 2022 🎉 pic.twitter.com/JUcY2zxq6t

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 15, 2025

With Ryan, the Cubs acquire an elite starting pitcher at the top of his game who's under team control until 2028. This season, he's pitched to a 10-4 record, 2.63 ERA with 132 strikeouts across 116.1 innings. These numbers led him to his first All-Star appearance. He would immediately slot in at the top of the Cubs' rotation, creating one of the most feared starting pitcher trios in the National League.

Fantasy Baseball Impact:

Joe Ryan gets a fantasy boost with this trade, leaving the hitter-friendly confines of Target Field for the more neutral (and often pitcher-friendly) Wrigley Field. He also lands on a contender, giving him a better shot at piling up wins for a Cubs team eyeing an NL pennant run.