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The vibes are good with the Chicago Cubs right now. At the time of this writing, the Cubs sport a 26-12 record and are at the top of the National League Central. They have also been red-hot as of late, winning each of their last nine games.

With how this season is going for the Cubs, they are undoubtedly setting themselves up to be big buyers at the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline. When looking at their roster, they have some needs that they should look to address between now and the trade deadline to help their chances of being true contenders for the playoffs.

One of the Cubs’ top needs is another star pitcher in their rotation. Due to this, the Cubs are now being viewed as a prime potential landing spot for one of the top starting pitchers who is currently in the rumor mill.

Cubs Named Top Trade Destination for Twins’ Joe Ryan

In a recent article for FanSided, Chris Landers looked at some of the top MLB trade candidates at this point in the season and named a top potential landing spot for them. Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Ryan was among the players discussed, and it is understandable when noting that he has been a prime trade candidate since the offseason.

When it came to Ryan, Landers picked the Cubs as the best potential landing spot for the All-Star pitcher.

“Feinsand’s poll was conducted before Ryan left his start on Sunday early with elbow discomfort, and obviously any trade value he has is contingent upon staying healthy (unlike his Twins teammate, Pablo Lopez). If he does dodge a bullet here, though, he checks a lot of boxes for a Cubs team that should be looking to add arms as they get set for a run at the Dodgers in the National League playoffs,” Landers wrote.

When looking at the Cubs’ current pitching rotation, there is no question that Ryan would be a big-time pickup for them if acquired. He would slot nicely in the front half of their rotation and would give them another high-impact starter to work with.

Ryan is also in the middle of a solid season with the Twins in 2026. In eight starts so far this campaign, the 6-foot-5 righty has a 3.72 ERA and 40 strikeouts. This is after he had a 13-10 record, a 3.42 ERA, and 194 strikeouts in 31 games for the Twins during his 2025 All-Star season.

Cubs Will Have Competition to Land Ryan This Season

If the Cubs decide to make a push for Ryan this season, there is no question that they will have a lot of competition for his services. Ryan is exactly the kind of starting pitcher that contenders around the league will be looking to add once we get closer to the deadline.

A few other teams besides the Cubs that could make sense as landing spots for Ryan include the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, and New York Yankees.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Cubs end up being the team that lands Ryan this season from here.