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Twins GM Jeremy Zoll taking time to deal SP Joe Ryan

Twins GM Jeremy Zoll taking time to deal SP Joe Ryan originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Minnesota Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll still has some time.

Not much.

But, on the eve of June, and with the Twins entering Sunday as one of seven clubs within 2.5 games of the second AL Wild Card seed, Zoll could wisely hold on to starting pitcher Joe Ryan, one of MLB's top deadline trade candidates, for a while longer.

Scheduled to start against the Chicago White Sox at Target Field on Monday, Ryan (3-3) has delivered four consecutive quality starts, posting a 1.75 earned-run average during that span. Along with injured catcher Ryan Jeffers, Ryan could prove to be Zoll's top trade chip.

When it comes to the potential of trading Ryan, the Twins (27-32), who had dropped four straight entering Sunday, could be immediately left with rotational depth concerns on the major-league level.

Tick ... tick ... tick ...

Twins' Joe Ryan to get start against White Sox on Monday

Any potential deal for Ryan could have gotten tougher. The Twins on Saturday designated starting pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson for assignment. The Twins were 1-9 in games started by Woods Richardson and 26-21 when others started at the time of his release.

The Twins recalled right-hander John Klein from Triple-A St. Paul to replace Woods Richardson. A Minnesota native, Klein made his big-league debut May 2, appearing in three games. He's expected to serve a multi-inning relief role during his second MLB stint. He pitched two scoreless innings during Saturday's 10-9 loss to the Pirates.

Rebounding from two rough starts in April, totaling 12 runs, Ryan rebounded to record a 2.94 ERA with 70 strikeouts and a 0.93 WHIP in 64.1 innings.

Pitching on a $6.2 million deal, Ryan will be arbitration-eligible for 2027. On the eve of June baseball, contenders will soon start calling Zoll, if they're not already.

He still has some time to decide if the Twins can continue to challenge for the postseason and whether the system has enough depth to absorb the absence of another starter.

Is time starting to run out?