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Byron Buxton Ends Trade Rumors; Says He’s a Minnesota Twin for Life
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- Byron Buxton Ends Trade Rumors; Says He’s a Minnesota Twin for Life
Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The 2025 MLB Amateur Draft is complete, and 21 picks later, the Minnesota Twins have a fresh batch of prospects who will be introduced to the organization over the next month or so.
While the Twins drafted some intriguing players over the last two days, none of them compare to the excitement surrounding an 18-year-old Byron Buxton , after Minnesota selected the Baxley, GA native No. 2 overall in 2012 , infusing arguably the most talented and exciting prospect in franchise history, into the system.
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Minnesota Twins CF Byron Buxton dominating MLB
Fast forward 13 years, to 2025, a 31-year-old Byron Buxton is an All-Star for the second time in his 11-year MLB career, after slashing .289/.351/.574 (.925 OPS) in 78 games played. Buck's 21 homers leads the Twins, and earned him a spot in his first ever MLB Home Run Derby.
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Byron Buxton also leads the MN Twins in bWAR (4.1), Runs (64), RBI (56) and Stolen Bases (17-of-17) this season. Oh and he's probably the best outfielder in Major League Baseball, defensively. Byron's which is why he holds the 6th highest bWAR in the league (4.1) and 3rd highest WPA (2.3).
BYRON BUXTON HOMERS TO COMPLETE THE CYCLE
ON HIS BOBBLEHEAD DAY 🤯 pic.twitter.com/fCbjgzRUzd— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2025
After the All-Star Game comes and goes Tuesday night, all eyes will shift to the MLB's July 31 trade deadline, where the 47-49 Minnesota Twins are yet to establish themselves as buyers or sellers. Thanks to one of the worst Junes in franchise history, MLB scouts have been showing up to Target Field in droves.
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But buying teams aren't calling Derek Falvey just to discuss the Twins' most available players (see below). They've also been checking in on guys that the Twins are much less willing to move, including top pitcher Joe Ryan and the aforementioned, Byron Buxton.
Should that make Twins fans nervous? Not when it comes to Buck. During long-term contract talks between Byron and the Twins back in 2021-2022, he refused to sign without a full no-trade clause. Once the Twins included the no-trade, Buxton happily signed through at least 2028 .
Buxton commits to vetoing all trade attempts offered to MN Twins
And now that he has control, Buck has absolutely no interest in leaving. When asked Monday, during All-Star media day, about recent trade rumors swirling nationally that involve him, Byron Buxton just smiled and politely closed the door on any and all deadline speculation involving now, and into the future.
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Not only did Buck commit to vetoing any deal that would land on his agent's desk in the next couple weeks, involving him, but the now 2x All-Star went as far as to call Minnesota his baseball home for life. Translation: Byron Buxton is here to stay and that's not changing as long as he has control.
If you're a front office exec at the MLB trade deadline thinking, 'hey, maybe the Twins would move Byron Buxton'… just put the phone down.
"I can't be traded. I gotta no-trade clause. I'm a Minnesota Twin for the rest of my life. So that's the best feeling in the world,… pic.twitter.com/bIQHc2Nvfq— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) July 15, 2025
Reporter : "The Twins are hovering around .500. The trade deadline coming. There are questions about whether you're a buyer or seller. Do you pay attention to those rumors?"
Buxton : "I mean, I see them, but they don't dictate what we got to do on the field to get ourselves right."
Reporter : "Have you talked with any [Twins] higher ups about your own status and what they're thinking?"
Buxton : "About what?"
Reporter : "About whether you'll be traded, or whether you'll…"
Buxton : "I can't be traded. I gotta no-trade clause. I'm a Minnesota Twin for the rest of my life. So that's the best feeling in the world, knowing I get to walk into a clubhouse and it's going to say 'Twins' for the rest of my life."
Reporter : "So you won't waive it? You're staying in Minnesota?"
Buxton : "I'm a Twin. That's home."
Related: The 4 Most Interesting Minnesota Twins Draft Picks
Some of the most obvious tradable assets on the Minnesota Twins roster, should they decide to sell, are expiring veterans like Chris Paddack and Christian Vazquez , along with younger guys who are running out of arbitration eligibility, like Willi Castro and Ryan Jeffers .
It's even possible Derek Falvey & Co. pull a surprise move out of their back pocket. But I think one thing is for sure, on July 15, 2025, calling on Byron Buxton is not worth your time. Not as long as he holds control of where and when he gets moved.
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Healthy Byron Buxton finally able to fulfill expectations
Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
As he came up through the organization, "Byron Buxton watch" became just as important for Twins fans as the success of the big league club, at the time. After surging through the system and gaining recognition as the No. 1 overall prospect in all of baseball, Buck's injury issues started to kick in.
Unfortunately, the myriad of injuries he's dealt with, over the last decade, have dragged down Buxton's career trajectory. When healthy, however, Byron has proven himself to be every bit of the 5-tool player he was projected to be when the Minnesota Twins drafted him 13 years ago.
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Related: MN Twins Swing Trade for New Bullpen Arm
Now into his 30s, Byron Buxton's most recent knee surgery seems to finally have fixed the chronic issues that derailed the first half of his big league career (knock on wood). At 78 games played (of 96 possible – 81.25%) so far in 2025, Buck has already been in the Twins' lineup more often this season, than he was in all of 2015, 2018, 2020 and 2021.
If he stays on the field at this same pace through the rest of the season, Buxton would finish with 132 games played. That would be good for second-most in his 11-year career, and the most since 2017, when he played 140 of 162 games.
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