The Boston Red Sox should be on the hunt for a power bat to add to their lineup for the 2027 season, but they also need to reinforce their rotation. Boston's 2026 ace Sonny Gray has officially hit the free agent market and it needs a righty replacement.
Besides Gray, the Sox's entire rotation was left-handed — not counting newly converted bulk guy Brayan Bello, Ranger Suarez, Payton Tolle, Jake Bennett and Patrick Sandoval are all southpaws. There's no way to know before the start of the offseason if the Red Sox will trust Bello to return to the rotation, and if they don't, they need a new righty in the mix.
On the October 21 episode of "The Fenway Rundown" podcast, Sean McAdam of MassLive said he doesn't expect the Red Sox to spend much on another starter this season, and even said he expects them to go for a "back-end guy." That takes former San Diego Padre Michael King out of the picture, but maybe Boston will return to the trade market, where it got Gray.
Bleacher Report ranked Joe Ryan as it's ninth-best trade chip this offseason and the Red Sox could revisit their interest in him. Boston attempted to trade for Ryan at the 2025 trade deadline but couldn't pull it off, ending up with Dustin May instead.
Red Sox could trade for Joe Ryan as Sonny Gray replacement, right-hander in the rotation
Ryan is no "back-end guy" like McAdam said Boston might want but he could help the Red Sox maintain, or even improve, the elite rotation they built a year ago. The Minnesota Twins have been rebuilding, but given that it's the last year of Ryan's contract and the American League Central is more competitive than ever, they might be interested in moving on.
Ryan in 2026 regressed slightly from his 2024-25 production, but he's still a great arm worth targeting. The 30-year-old logged a 3.79 ERA and 1.16 WHIP over 144.2 innings (he spent a month on the injured list wth a glute strain). Command is possibly Ryan's greatest strength — he fanned 159 batters this year compared to just 31 walks, a five percent walk rate. He also boasts 89th percentile extension, a stat Craig Breslow covets.
Given that he'd be a rental, the Twins' asking price for Ryan has likely decreased significantly from their 2025 trade deadline demands. This is good for Boston after it used most of its top five prospects and pitching depth talent to make trades last offseason and at the trade deadline.
Ryan, a rental righty, would be one of the better Gray replacements the Sox can get. The Twins might not be keen on trading him, as they've held onto him for this long into their rebuild, but it doesn't hurt to ask.
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