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Joe Ryan is currently the Minnesota Twins ace.

The Chicago Cubs are having a strong start to the 2026 season. At the time of this writing, the Cubs are at the top of the National League East with a 16-9 record. They have also been red-hot as of late, as they have won each of their last nine games. With this, the Cubs are trending in the right direction and will be looking to keep their dominance going.

If the Cubs continue to stay hot as the season rolls on, there is a good chance that they will be buyers near the 2026 MLB trade deadline. When looking at their current roster, it is clear that they have some trade needs that they should look to address. One of them is bringing in another star pitcher for their starting rotation.

Because of this, the Cubs have now been named the top potential trade landing spot for one of baseball’s best pitcher trade candidates.

Chicago Cubs Named a Potential Trade Destination for Minnesota Twins Star Pitcher Joe Ryan

In a recent article for Sports Illustrated, Patrick McAvoy took a look at the top five trade candidates in the league at this point in the season. Minnesota Twins star pitcher Joe Ryan just made the cut at the No. 5 spot, and the Cubs were named among the top landing spots for the 6-foot-2 righty.

“If things shift, Ryan will rise on this list again. But, for now, he’s No. 5. Potential Landing Spots: Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox,” McAvoy wrote.

Ryan has been the subject of trade rumors since the offseason, so it is not difficult to understand why he is being viewed as one of the top trade candidates in the league. He is exactly the kind of pitcher that playoff teams should be pursuing heavily near the deadline, and the Cubs would be wise to kick tires on him.

If the Cubs acquired Ryan from the Twins, he would give them another very good pitcher to work with in the front half of their rotation. This would not be a bad thing at all for a Cubs team that is looking to be among the top contenders this season.

Ryan has had a pretty solid start to the 2026 season, as he has a 2-2 record, a 3.90 ERA, and 33 strikeouts in six starts. This is after he had a 13-10 record, a 3.42 ERA, and 194 strikeouts during the 2025 season with the Twins, where he was an All-Star. With numbers like this, he would be a major pickup for the Cubs if acquired.

Cubs Should Look to Make Multiple Moves This Season

Whether the Cubs land Ryan or not, they should be looking to make multiple trades during this season. The Cubs are showing that they can be a real threat during the early stages of the season. Due to this, they should not be afraid to make some bold trades to help their chances of going on a real run this fall.

However, the idea of the Cubs landing Ryan is a very intriguing one. It will be interesting to see if they strike a deal with the Twins to acquire him from here.