Minnesota Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll finally addressed the Byron Buxton trade rumors, shutting down the idea that the team would even consider dealing Buxton, who has a full no-trade clause.
“We have no plans to trade Byron,” Zoll said to reporters, including MLB.com's Matthew Leach. “It’s not something we’re exploring. It’s not something we plan to explore.
Buxton has made it clear multiple times since last year's All-Star break he has no plans to waive his no-trade clause despite his name appearing in trade rumors frequently. Last July, Buxton said he's a Twin for life, shutting down trade deadline rumors involving himself. Buxton trade rumors reignited in the offseason, and Buxton once again shut down the idea he would waive his no-trade clause. Of course, with trade deadline speculation rampant among MLB media, Buxton trade rumors emerged again this season, but the two-time All-Star put them to bed one more time last week.
Byron Buxton loves the #MNTwins clubhouse vibes. The trade talk? "I don't give a f***. ... I ain't said nothing about leaving. Nor will I. I'm a Twin.” Story is open for all to read. Check it out in @TheAthletic only.https://t.co/Y6wokw5A81
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) June 18, 2026
Even though Buxton made it clear he wouldn't waive his no-trade clause, he expressed frustration with the front office for not shutting down the rumors involving his name in the offseason.
“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.”
While Zoll didn't need to terminate the Buxton trade rumors, since Buxton cannot be dealt unless he wants to, he did something Derek Falvey never did: let the media know they have no plans to trade their best player. Given Buxton's frustration with the front office's silence on the rumors in the past, Zoll did the right thing by making Minnesota's franchise player happy.
Twins' Buxton on pace to have best season of career
Buxton, who is under team control through 2028 at a little over $15 million per year, is on pace to have the best season of his career per fWAR with 3.0 through 69 games. Buxton, who posted a career-high 5.0 fWAR last season, is hitting .275/.332/.595 (151 wRC+) and is tied for the American League lead in home runs (25) with Astros designated hitter Yordan Álvarez. As usual, Buxton has also been fantastic defensively, boasting +4 Outs Above Average in 427 innings.
Unless he gets hurt or has a massive decline in performance, Buxton will almost certainly represent the Twins in this summer's All-Star game. The latest voting update revealed Buxton has the third-most votes (1,106,264) among AL outfielders, meaning he would start in the Midsummer Classic if he keeps his spot. The two leading AL outfielders, Aaron Judge and Mike Trout, are injured, making Buxton's odds of starting in the game even higher. Even if Buxton doesn't earn a starting nod, he should be in the game as a reserve.
Add us as a preferred source on Google