The MLB trade deadline is just a couple of weeks away. Teams will have until July 31 to figure out whether they want to buy and make a push for a postseason berth, sell players to help replenish their farm system, or stand pat with the roster they have for the remainder of the season.
For the Minnesota Twins, they find themselves well outside of first place in the AL Central, led in dominating fashion by the Detroit Tigers. While the team is five games back of the final AL Wild Card spot as of the morning of July 8, the field is very crowded. So, the Twins will have to make a choice — buy, sell, or stand pat.
If there is one player who stands out for the Twins, it's outfielder Byron Buxton, who recently was named a reserve for the AL All-Star team and announced he would compete in the Home Run Derby. Given the situation the Twins are facing, postseason-wise, they would be wise to convince him that trading him would be in both of their best interests.
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Byron Buxton's trade value will never be higher for the Twins
The main thing that will hold back a trade is that Buxton has a full no-trade clause through the 2026 season. So it's not going to be an easy thing for the Twins to do. But it is a conversation they need to have.
Ever since being selected as the second-overall pick by the Twins in the 2012 draft, Buxton was hyped as MLB's next big star. He was dubbed a legitimate five-tool player and could very well be a reason why the Twins could win a World Series title.
The major thing that has held Buxton back from being a legitimate MLB superstar is his long injury history. Nearly every season, just when it feels like Buxton is on a tear and could put up an AL MVP-caliber season, he inevitably gets injured that stalls his momentum. It's happened a lot throughout his lengthy MLB career, as he only played over 100 games in a season just twice in his career. That's 2-of-10 seasons.
This year, Buxton has missed time due to a concussion, but it has not affected his play. Through 73 games, Buxton recorded a .270 batting average, a .334 on-base percentage, a .544 slugging percentage, 20 home runs, 53 RBI, 57 runs, and 76 hits in 281 at-bats.
Even with how well Buxton is playing this year, it's not enough to help the Twins win. As mentioned earlier, the Tigers have a huge lead in the division, and the AL Wild Card field is crowded. If the Twins want to bring in more young talent to help put them in a position similar to what the Tigers are in now, they would have to start moving their best names.
Buxton is under contract through the 2028 season after signing a seven-year, $100 million pact back in 2021. The full no-trade clause will be a huge hurdle the Twins will have to overcome, but it could happen if they can try and convince him they can trade him to a World Series contender. Again, that is much easier said than done. But, there are numerous World Series contenders who could stand to add an outfielder.
Given that Buxton is in the midst of a relatively healthy and strong season, his value probably will never be higher. But it doesn't mean it's definitely going to happen. These next couple of weeks will be important for the Twins.