We might have resigned ourselves to the fact that Ryan Weathers would be the most significant starting rotation addition the New York Yankees would make this offseason. We might even buy into the hype that Weathers is brimming with untapped potential and could become the next breakout star, a la Bryan Woo.
Despite the winter feeling as if it’s moving more slowly than molasses, things can change quickly. The latest payroll figures show them going way beyond the predicted $300 million cap we thought they were bound by. There might be more moves on the horizon, even if the pickings are getting slim.
While we wait to see whether the situation is indeed changing for the Yankees, there’s another American League club that is going through a transformation: the Minnesota Twins. The Twins announced that they have mutually agreed to part ways with president of baseball and business operations, Derek Falvey. That could have far-reaching implications.
The Twins parting with top executive Derek Falvey could put a Joe Ryan trade back on the Yankees’ radar
There’s an important timeline here. The Twins underwent a mini fire sale at last year’s trade deadline as it emerged that the organization was deeply in debt. The small-market darlings had been owned by the Pohlad family, but there were questions as to whether or not they’d need to put the team up for sale.
Instead, the Pohlads took on new investors and sold only minority stakes in the club, retaining control while infusing a new flow of cash into their operations. As the offseason kicked off, there were rumblings that the team could engage in an extended sell-off of big league talent, with stars like ace Joe Ryan and Byron Buxton front and center.
However, in the lead-up to the Winter Meetings, Falvey made it clear that in no uncertain terms were the Twins looking to trade away what was left of their core. The team was looking to add, not subtract, he said.
Minnesota has made very few additions to its roster, and what they have done is hardly needle-moving. Earlier this month, they also got into a ridiculous tiff with Ryan in contract negotiations in an attempt to avoid an arbitration hearing. The two sides squabbled over a measly $500k before ultimately agreeing to a deal just three days before Falvey’s dismissal.
The two decisions might not be connected, but usually where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
Principal owner Tom Polhad will take control of the business side while Jeremy Zoll becomes the general manager, handling the baseball part of the operation. Does that mean that Ryan could be put back on the trade block?
If it does, the Yankees should be licking their chops. Ryan will make $6.1 million in 2026, putting his price tag in a similar realm to that of Nick Martinez, whom they’ve been sniffing around. Ryan has an additional year of team control, and there’s a $13 million option in place for 2027, making him affordable in terms of dollars. He’s also the more talented option.
As for the cost of acquisition, controllable arms have been expensive, and Ryan’s talent places him somewhere between Freddy Peralta and MacKenzie Gore. However, the state of the market matters, and most of the teams that could have been in the running have already made other arrangements.
We thought the Yankees would mostly roll with what they had and then make any necessary adjustments at the trade deadline, but while it’s no guarantee, this shakeup in Minnesota might change things. What this does mean is we should be paying close attention to what’s going on with the Twins as we inch closer towards spring training action.
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