Twins GM Jeremy Zoll Says They Have No Plans to Trade Byron Buxton

Zoll shut down speculation over Buxton, who himself has made it clear he doesn't want to be anywhere else.

Jun 22, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton (25) celebrates hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning at Target Field. | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Can we stop with the Byron Buxton trade speculation now?

Buxton has a full no-trade clause. He has said multiple times over the years, most recently last week, that he is a Twin and has no plans on playing anywhere else. Now Minnesota general manager Jeremy Zoll has come out and said the same thing.

"We have no plans to trade Byron," Zoll told reporters before Tuesday's game against the Dodgers. "It's not something we're exploring. It's not something we plan to explore."

Buxton has expressed frustration in the past about the Twins not coming out and publicly shutting down trade rumors involving his name. This time, the organization is doing that.

"He wants to be here," Zoll said. "We want him to be here. I think to just get that out there makes a lot of sense, especially given a lot of speculation being thrown out there that’s not actually rooted in fact."

For whatever reason, Buxton's no-trade clause and his repeated insistence that he's happy in Minnesota haven't been enough to stop national media members from speculating about the future of the Twins' star center fielder. Last week, Buxton was the No. 2 player on an ESPN list of 100 candidates to be moved before the early-August trade deadline. Other media outlets have done it as well. So have countless fans on social media, although that's to be expected.

Buxton, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 draft, is in his 12th big-league season with the Twins. This is his home, as he's said on several occasions. He has 10-and-5 rights (10 years of service time, including 5 straight with his current team), which grants him the ability to veto any trade. He controls his future.

There was some theoretical logic to the notion that if the Twins decided to go into a full rebuild this year and approached Buxton about the possibility of a trade, he might perhaps be open to the idea. But even that doesn't appear to be the case.

The Twins have other prominent trade candidates, most notably ace pitcher Joe Ryan and currently-injured catcher Ryan Jeffers. But they were just 1.5 games back of a playoff spot going into Tuesday evening's games. Owner Tom Pohlad said before this season began that they planned on being competitive in 2026, and Zoll said that remains the plan.

"We’ve been clear all along we’re hoping to be competitive this year," he said. "We’re right in the thick of it and want to let this next stretch play out and give the group every chance they can to make that a reality."

Buxton, who tied the AL lead with his 25th home run on Monday night, is on pace to have a career year for the second straight season. If healthy, he's a lock to make his third All-Star team and has a good chance to be voted in as a starting outfielder for the first time.