MN Twins Trying to Push Byron Buxton Out?

You can expect a significant amount of change for the Minnesota Twins this offseason. The payroll is currently projected to check in right around $100 million and it could be substantially lower than that.

The only two guaranteed contracts on the Twins books for 2026 are Pablo Lopez ($21.75 million) and Byron Buxton ($15 million). After trading away nearly 40% of the 2025 roster at the trade deadline, it’s possible the Pohlads continue a roster teardown and ship out players like Lopez and Joe Ryan as well.

Thus far Buxton has been steadfast in his desire to remain with Minnesota. Should a level of competitiveness not be reached, the franchise would certainly be testing those limits.

Minnesota Twins testing Byron Buxton’s loyalty

Minnesota signed Byron Buxton to a seven-year, $100 million deal ahead of the 2022 season. That’s well below market value, and reflected his inability to stay healthy.

Buck will be an MVP vote-getter this season, and wants to stay with the team that drafted him. The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman wonders if the front office, and their unknown plans for this offseason, might not test his loyalty, however.

“The thing that looms over him unfortunately, because of the state of the team, is always the trade stuff. If the team’s going to be bad, and the team is going to shed all this salary and trade more players, is it just going to be Byron Buxton and a bunch of mediocre minimum salaried rookies basically?

I can’t get inside his head; that’s not necessarily a situation I would want to be in for the end of my career. And it’s sad to think, [but] are they almost pushing him towards losing his loyalty? He has shown a tremendous amount of loyalty to them…but you do wonder, does there come a point where he, even the most loyal man in the world says [enough is enough].”

“It does feel weird, from the Twins’ point of view, that they are almost taking [Buxton’s loyalty] for granted. Like that will never change, no matter how bad things can get. Which, yeah I don’t know about that.”

Gleeman and the Geek

You could say that Minnesota has stuck by Buxton despite his injuries, but that would be the wrong way to view things. He was paid below market-value for a superstar centerfielder because of his availability issues.

He has been incredible when on the field, and just finished 100-game seasons in consecutive years for the first time in his career. His no trade clause was included as part of his seven-year contract because he wanted to stay with the Twins. Minnesota forcing him out by putting no talent around him and continuing to ask about trade possibilities would be unfortunate to say the least.

When the former front office paid Joe Mauer $184 million in 2010, they made him the figurehead of Target Field then stopped adding talent around him and his injuries made it worse. There was a time when the Pohlads allowed Derek Falvey to spend around Buxton, but that doesn’t seem to be the current reality.

It’s unlikely that the Minnesota Twins are going to be good in 2026. It will be an even worse fan-experience if things get so bad the staunchest supporter from the clubhouse has no choice but to tap out.

Buxton could end things with MN Twins lore

If the Minnesota Twins actually cared to do right by Buxton, they would look to capitalize the final three years and $45 million left on his deal. With 26.9 fWAR to this point, it’s a certainty he will enter the Twins Hall of Fame, and he could find himself in number retirement territory as well.

BYRON BUXTON HOMERS TO COMPLETE THE CYCLE

ON HIS BOBBLEHEAD DAY 🤯 pic.twitter.com/fCbjgzRUzd

— MLB (@MLB) July 12, 2025

For a guy that was taken second overall back in 2012, and will have played at least 14 years in the majors, that’s just about the ultimate outcome. Of course it would have been great to see Buxton win a ring with Minnesota, but roster construction in baseball is never built on the back of a single player.

It seems logical that Buxton would either ride off into the sunset at 34 years old when his deal concludes, or sign something else short-term to stick around. Forcing him out of that opportunity by trying to be as cheap as possible would be just another nail in the coffin of what the Pohlads have done to the franchise.