Twins teardown might gift Orioles a perfect rotation upgrade

Once the Baltimore Orioles get their next manager and bring order to the front office, the most pressing item of business will be addressing the starting rotation. Veterans and unproven arms like Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano just won't cut it anymore.

Mike Elias has promised to investigate all options and be willing to commit big in terms of both money and years to fix the pitching staff, though the numbers that the top-tier free-agent starters will command may give him pause.

After all, in addition to a rotation head, Baltimore could also use another arm for the rotation, a closer, a few setup men, and a few odds and ends on the offensive side. Committing big money to an ace might force the club to leave a hole or two elsewhere.

However, the crumbling of the Minnesota Twins might just present Elias the opportunity to nab his ace at a bargain cost (in terms of dollars).

Twins' teardown might gift the Orioles their ideal rotation leader in Joe Ryan

After years of climbing payrolls, the Minnesota Twins had finally reached their limit. The budget had been stretched as far as it could go, but the collection of players they assembled came with notable holes that couldn't be overcome. As a result, Minnesota engaged in a deadline fire sale in July, and now entering the winter the teardown is expected to continue.

One of the prime chips who was rumored to be on the move but stayed put was ace Joe Ryan, but that might not last for much longer. The 29-year-old right-hander made just $3 million in arbitration, but with his salary projected to nearly double in arbitration, Minnesota could be forced to make a move.

Ryan doesn't hit free agency until after the 2027 season, but now, with two more years of team control, is the time where they can extract the most value. Teams don't often pay top dollar for high-end starters in their final year of team control, just look at the price the Orioles paid for Corbin Burnes, but with two years? Well, that tilts the scales in the Twins' favor.

Even so, the price in prospects is worth it for the Orioles. Ryan logged 171 innings with a 3.42 ERA, 28.2% strikeout rate, and sparkling 5.7% walk rate in 2025, putting him firmly in ace territory. However, with an arbitration salary that is projected to be a hair under $6 million, he's a steal and a half from a monetary perspective.

That frees up more money for the Orioles to chase an elite closer, add another well-regarded starter to pair with Ryan, Grayson Rodriguez and Trevor Rogers, while also filling out the bullpen and the bench.

Simply put, Ryan checks all the boxes for Baltimore while fitting nicely into the budget so that no hole goes unfilled in 2026. If the Orioles truly want to return to contention, ponying up to young talent for Ryan in addition to spending to solve the rest of the needs is a perfect way to ascend back to the realm of the American League's elite.