Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton has made it clear he isn’t going anywhere if teams come calling for a potential trade this summer. While his desire to remain a Twin for life could bring confusion to those outside of the Twin Cities, one player who understands it from his perspective is former Twins legend Joe Mauer.
“I think Buxton put himself in that position to have some input on it,” Mauer said in an interview with DJ Siddiqi of Casino.org at last weekend’s American Century Championship. “...Every decision is unique. Every player’s got their own things that they prioritize, and that goes into a decision like that.
“I know Buxton wants to win more than anybody, and I think he wants to win in Minnesota, and that would be something that I would like to see. But I just wish the best for him. Such a good guy, was a great teammate, and I hope he gets that chance to win. And I really do hope it’s here in Minnesota.”
Byron Buxton’s trade situation has plenty of parallels to Joe Mauer
Mauer has some experience in wanting to remain with the Twins through good times and bad. The St. Paul native was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 MLB Draft and spent his entire 15-year career with the Twins, winning three batting titles and the 2009 American League Most Valuable Player Award but he also never got past the Wild Card round of the playoffs and was part of Minnesota’s 18-game postseason losing streak.
That isn’t to say there weren’t opportunities for Mauer to leave. He was a key free agent target before agreeing to an eight-year, $184 million contract extension with the Twins in March 2010 and as the Twins suffered a downturn in the 2010s, Mauer could have been a trade target for a contending team if it weren’t for injuries and a no-trade clause of his own.
As a result, Mauer retired after the 2018 season just as the core of the Bomba Squad, which won a division title and 101 games in 2019, was beginning to establish itself in the major leagues and it may be a fate similar to the one Buxton may be walking into if the Twins can’t turn it around.
After overcoming a nagging knee injury, Buxton has been one of the best players in baseball over the past two seasons, ranking 6th with an .884 OPS and 11th with an OPS+ of 139 among hitters with a minimum of 750 plate appearances.
That includes a strong 2026 season where Buxton is hitting .263/.322/.579 with 16 homers, 26 RBI and four stolen bases in 45 games. While that production would be appealing to another team, specifically, his hometown Atlanta Braves, Buxton has also reminded fans and reporters about his no-trade clause and his desire to stay with the franchise on multiple occasions.
With that, it puts pressure to build a winner around Buxton. The Twins have been up and down this season, entering Tuesday with a 26-28 record and sitting five games back of the Cleveland Guardians for first place in the American League Central. But Minnesota also has a talented core rising through the pipeline including outfielders Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez and shortstop Kaelen Culpepper.
The only question is whether those players can contribute before it’s too late like it did for Mauer. For now, Buxton has a lot of baseball left at age 32 if the injuries that plagued his career don’t return. It’s why Mauer believes Buxton’s desire to win may be part of what’s keeping him in Minnesota and why he and Twins fans are hoping he gets the chance with the core that’s on the way.
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