Bullet point summary by AI
- The Minnesota Twins hold the potential to shake up the NL playoff race by making star outfielder Byron Buxton available at the trade deadline.
- Three contenders emerge with compelling cases to land Buxton, each requiring significant prospect packages to meet the Twins’ high asking price.
- The decision to waive his no-trade clause remains Buxton’s alone, but his value and the playoff urgency facing these teams create a rare opportunity for all sides.
From Tarik Skubal to Joe Ryan to Freddy Peralta, there’s no shortage of needle-moving starting pitchers expected to be made available at this year’s MLB trade deadline. The same cannot be said about position players, though, as beyond guys like Luis Arraez and maybe Willson Contreras, there aren’t expected to be many big bats available. The Minnesota Twins have the ability to change that by making Byron Buxton available.
To be clear, this is not particularly likely. Not only are the Twins just 3.0 games back of a playoff spot entering play on Saturday, but Buxton has a full no-trade clause, which he has expressed numerous times that he has no interest in waiving. Minnesota probably doesn’t want to trade him, and Buxton probably doesn’t want to be traded. But the Twins being five games under .500 means it makes sense to move on from him now, when his value is at his highest, and Buxton being 32 years old with a lengthy injury history means now might be his best time to get dealt to a winner. These trades could make everyone happy, giving three National League postseason contenders improved odds of dethroning the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Braves can bring Byron Buxton back home
If Buxton were to get traded, the Atlanta Braves make the most sense. Not only do the Braves have a clear need for an outfielder with Jurickson Profar suspended for the year and Mike Yastrzemski not getting the job done in his place, but Buxton is a Georgia native. If he were to waive his no-trade clause, why wouldn’t it be for the team he grew up rooting for? The Braves happen to have a package good enough to get this deal done.
Hurston Waldrep is a controllable starting pitcher who has already had success at the big-league level. He can contribute right now and for years to come in the middle of Minnesota’s rotation. Eric Hartman’s stock has skyrocketed this year, on the back of 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases at High-A. He’s probably a couple of years away from debuting, but the Twins shouldn’t care about that — he has All-Star upside with his power and speed tools. As for Owen Murphy, he’s better than your traditional throw-in; he was a fringe top-100 prospect before undergoing Tommy John Surgery back in 2024, and while he isn’t quite back to those heights, he’s in Triple-A and pitching well, particularly lately.
This is a lot for Atlanta to give up, but Buxton is one of the best outfielders in the sport, and he’s under control for another two years after this one on team-friendly terms. The Braves should be in win-now mode, and few can help boost their odds more than Buxton.
Byron Buxton is the dream Phillies outfield addition
The Philadelphia Phillies should be as desperate as any team to acquire an outfielder like Buxton. They have a clear need for more power in their lineup, particularly from the right side, and Adolis Garcia’s season-ending injury only emphasized their need for righty outfield help. Plus, with an aging core and a lackluster farm system, who knows how many more chances the Phillies will have in the near future to compete? Now is the time to go all-in.
That means parting with Andrew Painter, who, while he struggled mightily in his first taste of the Majors, should still have some value considering how highly touted he was as a prospect not too long ago. In addition to Painter, the Twins would be acquiring Gage Wood, the Phillies’ best pitching prospect, and Aroon Escobar, a player who, while having a down year, was a fringe top-100 guy just last year. The Twins would be acquiring two young right-handers with immense upside in Painter and Wood, and a worthwhile lottery ticket in Escobar.
Is this a lot to give up from Philadelphia’s perspective? Absolutely, but again, Buxton is the perfect fit, and this deal would allow them to hold onto Aidan Miller, their best prospect (when healthy at least).
Cardinals make sense as a Byron Buxton dark horse
The Braves and Phillies have been linked to Buxton as much as any team the past couple of years, but why not the St. Louis Cardinals as a dark horse? The Cardinals continue to defy the odds by sticking around in the NL postseason race, and while they probably shouldn’t go all-in on rentals, why not pursue Buxton — who, again, has two more years of control after this one while making just a shade over $15 million annually? St. Louis could use an upgrade over Nathan Church, and Buxton could make their lineup downright scary alongside the likes of J.J. Wetherholt, Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker.
This wouldn’t come cheaply, of course, as this mock trade has St. Louis parting with its No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 prospects per MLB Pipeline. With that being said, Jurrangelo Cijntje has not had a good year in Double-A, Leo Bernal is just one of several high-end catching prospects in the Cardinals’ system and Quinn Mathews is still struggling to throw strikes with any sort of consistency. It’s a lot to give up, as all three of these prospects have upside, but you have to give to get.
Mathews and Bernal could be ready to contribute at positions of need (assuming Ryan Jeffers and Joe Ryan are traded) by the end of the year, and Cijntje, the centerpiece of the deal that sent Brendan Donovan to Seattle this past offseason, isn’t too far behind if he can improve his command at the Double-A level.
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