Byron Buxton publicly stated, "I want to be a Minnesota Twin for the rest of my life," during last summer's All-Star break. But after a Trade Deadline fire sale that saw 10 players from the 26-man roster traded to shed payroll, and the team's brass becoming increasingly unpopular among fans, rumors suggested he may be willing to waive his full no-trade clause if the Twins trade starting pitchers Joe Ryan and/or Pablo López, who could miss the entire 2026 season after suffering a "significant tearing of his UCL," according to The Athletic's Dan Hayes.
The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal shut down Buxton trade rumors in early December, reporting 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.
“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.”
For now, it appears Buxton will stick with the Twins. But if the season goes south, which seems likely, especially given López's injury, the Twins may blow everything up, which could mean trading Ryan. If Ryan goes, then Buxton, a Georgia native, would likely be willing to waive his no-trade clause, especially if he could end up with the Atlanta Braves. USA Today's Bob Nightengale entertained that possibility on a recent episode of Foul Territory.
Just because Byron Buxton has a full no-trade clause doesn't mean getting moved is completely out of the question.
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) February 16, 2026
"It could be a case where, if he gets a little disgruntled, he can say, if Atlanta wants me, I'd love to go there," says @BNightengale. pic.twitter.com/tg656TyvJI
Twins All-Star center fielder Byron Buxton could be willing to waive no-trade clause to land with Atlanta Braves
A Buxton trade before the regular season begins seems unlikely, since Twins executive chair Tom Pohlad has made it clear he intends for Minnesota to compete for a playoff spot this year. The Twins have the talent to make the postseason, but it's contingent on numerous variables, and it's hard to imagine they sneak in without López. If the Twins really want to compete and López is sidelined for the whole 2026 season, Minnesota should add a proven starting pitcher, such as Lucas Giolito. But if they don't add a López replacement if he is out for the year, the odds of making the playoffs are even smaller than before, meaning selling at the Trade Deadline is likely, which could mark the end of Buxton's tenure with the Twins.