Joe Ryan opens spring training with Twins after offseason of uncertainty

FORT MYERS, FLA. – With a baby boy due last November, Twins All-Star pitcher Joe Ryan used the early part of the offseason to think about things besides baseball. And things other than trade rumors.

There was some uncertainty about whether Ryan would return when last season ended. The Twins were engaged in trade talks about Ryan with the Boston Red Sox at last year’s trade deadline, though no deal came close to fruition.

So, when Ryan was asked whether he was surprised he was still with the Twins during their first pitchers and catchers workout on Thursday, Feb. 12, he offered a shrug.

“It was just so unknown,” Ryan said. “Having the baby, it was very nice to just not think about baseball and really separate there. Just think about the baby boy, [fiancée] Clare, and make sure everyone is happy and healthy. That was more of the focus.”

By the time the Twins announced their intention to keep Ryan in early December, along with fellow All-Stars Pablo López and Byron Buxton, Ryan’s son was a few weeks old, and Ryan wasn’t stressing about any possible moves.

“Anything else was just noise,” he said. “I wasn’t really putting any stock into anything I was hearing or reading or whatever.”

Ryan started his offseason training earlier than usual because he’s set to play for Team USA in next month’s World Baseball Classic. He represented the United States in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but those games were played without fans because of COVID restrictions.

After Ryan put together his most complete season, posting a 13-10 record and a 3.42 ERA in a career-high 171 innings, his objective this winter wasn’t adding a new pitch or changing much.

“More just mechanical, physical things that I just want to hone on, get better at and improve in those areas,” Ryan said. “That takes care of a lot of the problems.”

The Twins prioritized meetings with Ryan throughout the offseason. New manager Derek Shelton planned to visit him in California, but the timing didn’t work before Ryan’s son, Rowan, was born.

Still, Ryan and Shelton chatted plenty over the phone.

“The communication has been great,” Ryan said. “That’s super important. He wants to win. That’s what we want to do. He has a good plan.”

“It was really cool for him to do that,” Ryan said. “I really appreciated that. I thought it was a nice gesture. I got to talk to him and see where his vision was. I think the organization is in a good spot with him at the helm. We’ll see how that goes.”

Ryan nearly went to an arbitration hearing with the Twins, settling on a one-year, $6.2 million contract a few hours before he was set to fly on a plane to Arizona for the hearing. He confirmed he has not had any talks with the Twins front office about a contract extension.

All that, he says, is behind him. He knows the Twins are counting on him to lead a rotation that is deep with young pitchers who have major league experience, and he’s glad he is still part of the group.

“They look great,” Ryan said of the Twins’ younger starters. “There is a lot of hope for them for a long time there. Everyone looks pretty good so far in camp. I haven’t seen a ton. I’ve seen Taj [Bradley] and Mick [Abel] off the bump. I heard Zebby [Matthews] looked really good the other day, too. [David] Festa seems to be throwing well, too, so it’s awesome. I think it’s in a good spot.”

The Twins acquired lefty reliever Anthony Banda in a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers for international bonus pool money. Banda, 32, had a 3.18 ERA in 71 games for the World Series champions last year, totaling 61 strikeouts and 34 walks.

“The last few years, he’s been a high-leverage reliever for the best team in baseball,” said Shelton, who managed Banda in Pittsburgh from 2021-22.

The Twins designated reliever Jackson Kowar for assignment to make room for Banda on the 40-man roster.

In addition to Banda, the Twins signed relievers Liam Hendriks and Julian Merryweather to minor league contracts with invitations to big-league camp.

Hendriks, who pitched for the Twins from 2011-13, is a three-time All-Star, but he’s barely pitched over the last three years because he battled non-Hodgkin lymphoma and had two arm surgeries.