While all eyes are on Detroit's superstar starter Tarik Skubal and red-hot Padres closer Mason Miller, there are a handful of other pitchers for the Milwaukee Brewers to consider at the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline. Few are better equipped to help them bolster their rotation, while still building for the future, than right-handed starter Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins.
The 30-year-old was named an All-Star for the second time this season with a career ERA of 3.73, which is down to 3.38 through 21 starts in the 2026 season. He's been one of the more steady hands in the American League, now in his sixth season in the majors. Ryan has developed into the leader of Minnesota's bullpen, ranking ahead of their starting rotation in ERA and strikeouts on the year.
It's still unclear whether the Twins are willing to trade him at the deadline, but currently sitting two games below .500 almost two-thirds of the way through the 2026 season, they might decide it's time to pull the plug on their Playoff hopes and focus on their future. That would be the perfect time for the Brewers to swoop in and acquire a steady hand with legitimate experience to bolster their starting rotation.
Joe Ryan isn't as big of a name as the Brewers have been linked to, but he could make the same impact for Milwaukee.
It's no secret that the Brewers have been tied to some of the biggest names on the trade market this year. The team is expected to adopt a more aggressive approach than we've ever seen from them, as they duel with the Dodgers for the top record in the entire MLB. There's no better time to push their chips to the center of the table, but they're also not going to hemorrhage their farm system to do it.
So the Brewers might have a better solution in a Ryan deal, which would require giving up some assets, but not to the same extent that we'd anticipate from a Skubal or Miller deal. They'd have to take on the remainder of his contract this year and $13 million for next season, which is less than 2/3 of what they were willing to spend for Brandon Woodruff this season.
Ryan immediately slots into Woodruff's place in the rotation and gives Milwaukee a proven talent who ranks in the 80th percentile or better in major statistical categories like K%, Pitching Run Value, Walk Rate and Breaking Run Value for the 2026 season.
So while it might not be the flashiest move, it's still an aggressive one that gives Milwaukee one of the most consistent starting pitchers in the game to round out an otherwise young core currently learning how hard it is to maintain elite play over the course of a full season.
If the Brewers are serious about going all-in for this season and beyond, trading for Joe Ryan would be a fantastic way to achieve their goals.
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