Red Sox fans hit an insane new low over Thanksgiving in the Joe Ryan trade

You only have to follow a few Red Sox fans on social media to see so much of them desperately want their favorite team to trade for Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan. I mean, why wouldn’t they? Ryan, when he is at his best, is among the league’s best starting pitchers; in 115 career appearances, he has a 3.79 ERA with 719 strikeouts and 148 walks over 641 1/3 innings.

With that desperation, combined with the boredom that sometimes comes with the MLB offseason, Boston fans have been looking for any sign that their team could acquire Ryan, even after the Red Sox traded for starting pitcher Sonny Gray last week.

It’s clear Shawn is joking in this tweet. The main takeaway from the post is that Red Sox fans REALLY want Joe Ryan on their favorite team.

Can Red Sox still acquire Joe Ryan after Sonny Gray signs deal with Cardinals?

When Boston acquired Gray from St. Louis, it appeared the former Twins great would be the Red Sox’ No. 2 starter Garrett Crochet, 2025 Cy Young Award runner-up. However, Boston could still try to acquire Ryan even if it means losing an established outfielder like Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu or Ceddanne Rafaela. If the Red Sox really want to win a World Series within the next two seasons, acquiring Ryan for an MLB outfielder-led package and signing two or more position players could give them the roster they need to return to the Fall Classic for the first time since 2018.

From the Twins’ perspective, trading Ryan would likely be a huge mistake. Having a healthy Ryan and Pablo López leading the starting rotation feels necessary if Minnesota wants to return to the postseason. But given the Twins’ abundance of starting pitching depth (Ryan, López, Bailey Ober, Zebby Matthews, David Festa, Simeon Woods Richardson, Mick Abel, Taj Bradley, Kendry Rojas and more), president of baseball operations Derek Falvey could be tempted to move Ryan if it results in adding an established Major League outfielder plus two or more promising prospects. The Twins also have to consider that Byron Buxton could ask for a trade if the team were to deal Ryan, which would outrage fans.