Byron Buxton is having one of the best seasons of his career, and the Minnesota Twins are going to have to make a decision about him before the trade deadline.
The 32-year-old center fielder has 18 home runs and an .871 OPS this season, and his name has started to appear on contending teams’ wish lists. Buxton is signed through 2028 at $15 million per year, which is a manageable contract for any team willing to take on the injury risk that has defined his career.
The catch is Buxton’s no-trade protection. He has the right to reject any deal, and any trade conversation has to involve him directly. That puts the Twins in an unusual position. They cannot just decide to trade him. They need his cooperation, and they need to find a destination he is willing to accept.
The good news is that contending teams should be attractive. Buxton has played his entire career in Minnesota, and he has never gotten to play a meaningful playoff game in his prime. He is 32. The window for him to play for a championship contender is closing. If the Twins are not going to compete this year, Buxton might decide that this is the right time to waive the clause and chase a ring.
The Twins are an interesting case. They have not committed to a full rebuild, but they have not been good enough to be considered serious contenders either. The team has been hovering around .500 for most of the season, which is the worst possible spot to be in. You are not good enough to win it all, but you are not bad enough to fully sell.
That is the kind of franchise paralysis that leads to bad decisions. Either the Twins commit to building around Buxton and adding pieces, or they trade him while his value is still high. The middle path of doing nothing is the worst option.
The contending teams that would make sense for Buxton are obvious. The Phillies could use a center fielder. The Yankees might have interest depending on how their outfield situation shakes out with Aaron Judge’s injury status. The Cubs are right in the middle of the playoff chase and would love to add Buxton’s bat. The Mets have been linked to outfield upgrades.
The Buxton profile is unique. When healthy, he is one of the best two-way center fielders in baseball. He plays elite defense. He runs the bases like a player ten years younger. He hits for power. He is also a player who has spent more time on the injured list than off it for most of his career. The 2026 season has been an exception, and that is what is driving the trade interest now.
The Twins are facing a difficult evaluation. Do they believe Buxton can stay healthy for the next three years on his current contract? If so, they should hold him and try to build a contender around him. Do they believe the injury risk is too high? If so, they should sell while his value is at its peak.
The market is going to dictate a lot of this. If a contending team is willing to give up multiple top prospects for Buxton, the Twins have to consider that offer seriously. The prospects would be controlled assets that could form the core of the next competitive Twins team.
The August 3 deadline is the marker. The next six weeks are going to define how Minnesota approaches the rest of the decade. Either Buxton stays and the Twins try to build around him, or he goes and Minnesota starts a new chapter.
Buxton is the one with the real leverage. He has the no-trade clause. He has the production. He has the relationship with the franchise. The Twins are going to have to bring him into the conversation, and whatever happens next will come down to what Buxton himself wants.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
