The Mets‘ best avenue when it comes to adding a top of the rotation starter this offseason could be the trade market, where Twins ace Joe Ryan and Brewers ace Freddy Peralta are among those who could be available.
And per Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the Mets have interest in dealing for Ryan.
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Heyman notes that Minnesota is believed to like Jonah Tong.
With Ryan having two years of team control remaining and being set to make just $6 million or so via arbitration in 2026, the cost to acquire him would almost certainly be Tong (or another top prospect) plus a lot more.
Ryan, who is entering his age-30 season, had a 3.42 ERA (3.74 FIP) and 1.03 WHIP with 194 strikeouts in a career-high 171 innings for the Twins in 2025. He was similarly impressive in 2024, posting a 3.60 ERA (3.44 FIP) and 0.98 WHIP with 147 strikeouts in 135 innings.
Ryan relies heavily on a four-seam fastball (he threw it 51 percent of the time in 2025) that graded out as one of the best pitches in baseball last season. He also utilizes a sweeper, splitter, sinker, slider, and curve.
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The Twins are in the midst of a rebuild after having a fire sale at the 2025 trade deadline as they traded 10 players from the big league roster.
That included Carlos Correa, Griffin Jax, and elite closer Jhoan Duran, who — like Ryan — has two more years of arbitration remaining and will be wildly inexpensive in 2026 (he made just $1.3 million this past season).
Along with Ryan, it’s possible the Twins entertain the possibility of trading center fielder Byron Buxton. The 31-year-old would be a fit for the Mets, but has a full no-trade clause.
As far as Ryan, he would be a great add atop a Mets rotation that is expected to include Nolan McLean, Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, and David Peterson.
