THE APEX TIMES
Minnesota passed on the $13 million mutual option for 2027, sending Joe Ryan’s 2027 salary to the arbitration process while keeping him under club control for one more season.
The Minnesota Twins declined their side of Joe Ryan’s $13 million mutual contract option for 2027, according to an report. The decision means Ryan’s salary for the upcoming season will be set through the arbitration process rather than by an agreement between the parties.
Minnesota’s move, described as expected and not confirmed by the club, does not make Ryan a free agent. He remains under team control for one more season and would reach free agency after that contract year.
The Twins declined the option after a previous off-season where Ryan and Minnesota did not reach an agreement before arbitration figures were exchanged. reports that Minnesota has a club policy against agreeing to a one-year contract once those figures have been exchanged, and the mutual option was used to avoid an arbitration hearing while still keeping the policy intact.
In 2026, Ryan went 7-10 with a 3.79 ERA, striking out 159 batters and walking 31 across 27 starts (144 2/3 innings). The arbitration process would provide a likely increase from the $6.2 million Ryan is scheduled to earn in 2026, based on how mutual options and arbitration typically function under MLB’s collective bargaining framework.
The same report says Minnesota also declined its side of a $10 million mutual option for designated hitter Josh Bell, which would make Bell a free agent after the conclusion of the current control period.