Buxton Trade Rumors Resurface, but Twins Reportedly Not Interested

Rumors and speculation around Byron Buxton's long-term future in Minnesota are, once again, rearing their heads. Though teams may be interested in acquiring the star outfielder, the Twins are reportedly not interested in dealing one of the few stars the franchise currently has.

ESPN's Buster Olney seemed to reignite the Buxton talk in an Atlanta radio hit where he linked the Georgia native as a potential target for the Braves.

"I think at some point the name of Byron Buxton is gonna come up for the Atlanta Braves," Olney said on 680 The Fan in Atlanta on Monday. "He is a perfect fit for what they have, another right handed hitter. Given the fact that he's from your state. He has a full no-trade clause. He can reject any deal. The Twins held a fire sale at the trade deadline but Buxton has made it clear to people that he's not gonna go up to the front office and tell them, 'I want to be traded.'"

"I do wonder, if at some point, the Twins go to him and say, 'Look, you've got a couple years left. We're in the process of rebuilding. You've got value in the marketplace right now. We could send you to someplace where you'd have a chance of winning a championship.' Byron would have full control over that," continued Olney. "To this point, whenever he's been asked about it, he's said, 'Nope. I'm good. I'm staying here.' But, I wonder if the Twins were aggressive in going to him and saying, 'Hey, let's talk about this idea,' if Byron would be open to it."

Olney then followed it up later in the week with an article on ESPN about the storylines to watch as the deadline approaches, saying that, "He'd perfectly fit the needs of the Braves and other clubs."

Ahead of last year's deadline, Buxton was a popular name being thrown around. However, he denied any interest in moving from the only team he's ever played for. Ultimately no move materialized for Buxton amid the Twins' historic fire sale.

Following the fire sale, that tone changed over the winter, with Buxton expressing some discontent about the current trajectory of the organization. The Athletic's Dan Hayes reported in November that Buxton "wants to play for a winner and may reconsider his stance for certain clubs if the Twins continue breaking up their roster."

Fast forward several months, a shift in the Pohlad family over who is controlling the team and the narrative coming from the family, and Buxton seemed content on staying in Minnesota. However, while the Twins are technically alive in the AL wild card race, they have not shown they are a true contender, and don't look particularly close either. So it's no surprise that Olney is bringing up the possibility of a Buxton trade as we move within two months of the trade deadline.

According to Hayes, though, it's not that simple. While Buxton's internal feelings at this point in the season are unknown, Hayes says the Twins front office wouldn't be interested in moving on from the two-time All-Star.

"I would definitely put that in a place, in one of the, like, two places he would consider going, if the call came," Hayes said on a recent episode of the Twin Cities Territory podcast. "It doesn't mean the team can't call and be like, 'Hey, Jeremy Zoll, would you trade Byron Buxton?' Like, it's not like Jeremy Zoll's number is disallowed from an Atlanta phone number. You can still call. You just get told, 'No.' Last year, teams called about his agent to figure out if they could get around his no-trade clause."

Buxton may have softened his stance on wanting to be a one-club player, but that doesn't mean the front office, now under the guidance of Zoll, is as willing to consider a trade as they were last year.

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