The Boston Red Sox engaged in discussions with the Minnesota Twins about a trade for starting pitcher Joe Ryan ahead of Thursday’s deadline, and one media outlet accidentally reported that a deal had been completed. The blunder even fooled Ryan.
Reports leading up to the deadline suggested that the Twins were willing to listen to offers for Ryan. Someone who had access to the official X account for FOX Sports MLB thought at one point on Thursday that Ryan had been traded to Boston.
The erroneous post sent fans into a frenzy:
In an era where players frequently find out about trades via social media before hearing from their respective teams, Ryan briefly thought he needed to pack his bags. The right-hander told Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune that he saw the FOX post and initially believed he had been traded.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” Ryan said, noting that he was unable to get to sleep until after midnight on Thursday. “I felt like I threw a whole game [Thursday] with a lot of emotions. I was kind of in a weird state of mind and physically pretty exhausted, too.”
The Twins traded nearly half of their roster ahead of the deadline, so it is somewhat surprising that Ryan was not dealt. The Red Sox were reportedly unwilling to meet Minnesota’s asking price, which is why Ryan was not part of the fire sale.
Ryan is in his fifth MLB season and was just named an All-Star for the first time in his career. He is 10-5 with a 2.83 ERA and 141 strikeouts in 127 1/3 innings. The 29-year-old is under team control through the 2027 season.
