Byron Buxton is happy to be a Minnesota Twin. But he's also frustrated with the team's brass.
During last season's All-Star Game, Buxton, who has a full no-trade clause in his contract, shut down trade rumors surrounding his name by saying, "I'm a Minnesota Twin for the rest of my life."
But that was before the Twins traded nearly 40% of their big-league roster, including Carlos Correa and Jhoan Durán, to shed payroll and improve their farm system. Once the offseason arrived, Buxton's name began to appear in more trade rumors, with The Athletic's Dan Hayes reporting in November that the star center fielder could be willing to waive his no-trade clause if Minnesota trades Joe Ryan and/or Pablo López, both of whom were named in various trade rumors as well.
Rumors that Buxton, Ryan and López could be traded persisted throughout November. Then, in early December, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported that Minnesota plans to keep its star players and build around them for the 2026 season. Even with the report, Buxton's name kept appearing in trade rumors, and no one with the Twins organization publicly stated they plan to keep the 2025 Silver Slugger, which Buxton had an issue with.
Byron Buxton's frustration with Twins' brass regarding trade rumors adds to offseason confusion
“All it takes is for somebody at the top to go to the media, ‘We’re not trading you,’ ” Buxton said to the media, including The Minnesota Star Tribune's (subscription required) Bobby Nightengale, on Sunday, Feb. 15. “Trade rumors stop, and now we don’t have those conversations. That’s how simple this could get.”
Buxton, who is under team control through the 2028 season, has a right to be upset. But, it's still a bit confusing given Rosenthal's report in December, and the fact that Buxton has a no-trade clause. It makes sense why the two-time All-Star doesn't want to see his name in trade rumors when he wants to stay with the Twins. But, he cannot be traded unless he approves, so there shouldn't have been any concern about having to switch teams if he didn't want to.
Still, the Twins' front office could've publicly stated they don't plan to move Buxton, but they didn't. It was just reported that they don't plan to do so. If Buxton, who is beloved by Twins fans, would've felt more comfortable with a public statement from the team's brass regarding his name appearing in trade rumors, then they should've made one. Buxton, who posted a spectacular .878 OPS and mashed a career-high 35 homers last season, is the face of the franchise, and he deserves the respect of being comfortable during the offseason, which the Twins didn't ensure.
If the Twins' 2026 season doesn't go as planned, it could lead to another fire sale at the trade deadline. If that occurs, there's a good chance Buxton will be willing to waive his no-trade clause. But for now, it appears he will be a Twin for the foreseeable future.