Twins, Joe Ryan Headed to Arbitration After $500,000 Gap at Deadline

A relatively small financial gap proved large enough to send the Minnesota Twins and right-handed starter Joe Ryan to salary arbitration ahead of Thursday’s deadline.

According to multiple reports, including confirmation from MLB.com Twins beat reporter Matthew Leach, the Twins offered Ryan $5.85 million for the 2026 season, while Ryan countered at $6.35 million. The two sides were unable to bridge the $500,000 difference before the arbitration deadline, meaning an independent arbitrator will now determine Ryan’s salary for the upcoming season.

While the gap may appear modest in the context of modern MLB payrolls, it was enough to prevent a negotiated settlement — a reminder of how precise and precedent-driven the arbitration process can be for both teams and players.

Joe Ryan’s Arbitration Trajectory

Ryan, 29, is entering his second year of arbitration eligibility and is positioned for a significant raise regardless of the final ruling. He earned $3 million in 2025 after avoiding arbitration with the Twins last offseason, marking the first arbitration-eligible contract of his career.

Before that deal, Ryan had never earned more than $780,000 in a single MLB season. Now, even a ruling closer to the team’s number would effectively double his salary, placing him in the $6 million range for 2026.

Unless Ryan is traded or signs a multi-year extension, he will remain arbitration-eligible again in 2027 and is not scheduled to reach free agency until after that season. That timeline gives Minnesota two more years of team control beyond 2026 — an important factor as the front office balances competitiveness with long-term payroll planning.

Strong Performance Strengthens Ryan’s Case

Ryan’s performance in 2025 provides a strong foundation for his arbitration ask. The right-hander finished the season with a 13-10 record and a 3.42 ERA across 171 innings, striking out 194 batters while establishing himself as one of the more reliable starters in the American League.

His consistency and durability were particularly valuable for a Twins rotation that leaned heavily on its starters throughout the season. Ryan’s efforts earned him his first career All-Star selection, further strengthening his case in arbitration, where accolades and innings pitched often weigh heavily in salary determinations.

From the player’s perspective, a $6.35 million ask reflects not just performance, but role. Ryan has transitioned from a mid-rotation arm into a dependable frontline starter capable of logging significant innings against high-level competition.

Why the Twins May Have Held Firm

For Minnesota, the decision to let Ryan’s case go to arbitration likely comes down to precedent and payroll discipline rather than dissatisfaction with the pitcher himself.

Arbitration rulings can ripple through future cases, and teams are often cautious about setting benchmarks that may inflate salaries for other arbitration-eligible players down the line. From the Twins’ standpoint, offering $5.85 million likely reflected comparable salaries for pitchers with similar service time, workload, and performance.

That approach aligns with Minnesota’s broader philosophy of managing costs while maintaining roster flexibility — particularly important for a club that has several young players approaching arbitration in the coming seasons.

Arbitration Isn’t a Sign of Strain

Despite the inability to reach an agreement, arbitration should not be viewed as an indication of a fractured relationship between Ryan and the Twins. Many productive long-term partnerships have passed through arbitration hearings without lasting damage.

Still, the process can be uncomfortable. Arbitration hearings require teams to argue why a player is worth less than his request — a dynamic that can complicate future extension talks, even if both sides remain professional.

That said, Ryan remains under team control for multiple seasons, and Minnesota could still pursue a longer-term extension at any point if both sides see value in buying out future arbitration years.

Other Twins Avoid Arbitration

While Ryan’s case will head to a hearing, six other Twins players avoided arbitration by agreeing to one-year contracts before the deadline:

• C Ryan Jeffers

• IF Royce Lewis

• RP Cole Sands

• OF Trevor Larnach

• SP Bailey Ober

• C Alex Jackson

The fact that Minnesota successfully settled with the majority of its arbitration-eligible players underscores how narrow the gap was in Ryan’s case — and how specific arbitration negotiations can be.

What Comes Next

An arbitrator will now determine Joe Ryan’s 2026 salary, with a decision expected in the coming weeks. The ruling will land somewhere between the Twins’ $5.85 million offer and Ryan’s $6.35 million request.

Regardless of the outcome, Ryan is poised to enter 2026 as a key piece of Minnesota’s rotation and one of the more established arms on the staff. With two more years of control remaining and consistent production on the mound, his long-term future with the Twins remains very much in play.

For now, though, a half-million-dollar difference will be left in the hands of an arbitrator — a small margin with meaningful implications in the business side of baseball.