As has been the case for much of Byron Buxton’s Minnesota Twins career, he’ll have finished the 2026 season without having played in 100 games.
Instead, next week’s hip surgery will cap Buxton’s final total at 93. He’s failed to reach the 100-game mark in six of the last eight non-shortened seasons, and it’s a sour end to what had the makings of a special season; Buxton had 25 home runs through his first 75 games, which had him well on pace for his first 40-homer campaign.
Unfortunately for the three-time All-Star, he went homerless in 18 games post-injury, and he’s currently on his third IL stint. Buxton has battled hip injuries since 2024, though he expects to be a full go when spring training potentially starts in February.
“Obviously it’s surgery, so it’s something that, at some point in time, it’ll probably come back,” he said. “But they definitely reassured me that I’ll be fine [for] the rest of my career going forward.”
Whether the rest of his career will happen in Minnesota, though, is a far different conversation.
Byron Buxton and the Minnesota Twins must compromise on a trade this offseason
As we’ve argued before, Buxton should be admired for wanting to exclusively play for one team even after achieving the leverage to move elsewhere. The advent of “rings culture” often presents problems for smaller-market clubs, most notably in the NBA. Buxton secured 10-and-5 rights this past spring, giving him a full no-trade clause for the rest of his time in Minnesota.
That said, we selfishly want to see the sport’s best players maximize whatever opportunities they have to reach the postseason. Mike Trout has essentially destroyed his own legacy by sticking it out in Anaheim rather than asking (read: demanding) the Angels to trade him to a contender.
Plus, at what point does Minnesota try to have a hard conversation with its face of the franchise? The good news for all parties is that Buxton is relatively affordable, outside of the no-trade clause that could complicate any deal. He has two seasons left on his contract, each worth $15.1 million. But any team that wants Buxton would do so knowing that he turns 33 in December and has an extensive track record of hip and knee injuries.
Although he exclusively DH’d in 2023, the Twins have not hinted they’d be willing to make that change again next year. Trout spent almost all of last season at DH, moved back to the outfield this year, and is on track to play his most games since 2019. That’s not to say there’s a correlation between moving an aging slugger to and from DH.
Still, the opportunity to get something of value in return for Buxton is running out in a hurry, and it's just awfully hard for Minnesota to rely on him as a piece to build around moving forward. It would seem like acquiring future talent and moving on would be the best move; but navigating the sentiment involved, and finding a partner, is another matter.
Which team should try to trade for Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton?
Without overthinking what could happen this offseason, here are some teams that immediately jumped out as matches for Buxton:
- The Phillies are nearing the end of their championship window, so what better time to go all-in and add Buxton to the lineup? However, he’d likely be playing the outfield every day given Kyle Schwarber’s presence at DH.
- We’ll never exclude the Dodgers from a list like this, though we’d personally ask for Kyle Tucker in return. Then again, given how poorly things have gone for him of late, perhaps the Dodgers would be the ones to initiate any talks involving the ex-Astros standout.
- Evan Carter’s bat has never lived up to his potential, and Buxton would be a perfect fit as the Rangers’ next center fielder. The AL West is mediocre enough that this could help push Texas above the edge.
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