The Minnesota Twins Have Failed Byron Buxton

[Matthew Taylor]

Image courtesy of © Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

On the heels of the MLB trade deadline, the Minnesota Twins did the unthinkable. They tore it all down. Ten players from the active 26-man roster traded. Eleven players in total gone. What’s left is a skeleton of a team, barely recognizable, stumbling toward the finish line of what was supposed to be a contending season. The message from the front office couldn’t be clearer: the rebuild is on. And it's going to be long and painful.

Left standing amid the wreckage is Byron Buxton .

The Twins didn’t trade Buxton at the deadline. Not for lack of value, not for lack of interest from other teams, but because they couldn’t. He holds a no-trade clause, and he used it. He’s made it abundantly clear: he wants to be in Minnesota. He wants to finish his career here. He wants to raise his family here. He wants to be a Twin for life. And now, with the dust settled and the roster stripped bare, Buxton and Pablo López are the only two players on the team with guaranteed contracts for next season.

Buxton’s loyalty hasn’t wavered. Through losing seasons. Through devastating injuries. Through criticism from fans. Through front office changes and managerial shifts and roster reshuffles. He’s endured it all. And this year, he finally put it together. Healthy. Confident. Explosive. A legitimate MVP candidate. He’s been everything the Twins dreamed of when they made him the No. 1 overall pick. He’s been the heart and soul of the team.

And the front office repaid that by tearing down everything around him.

This wasn’t a case of retooling or tweaking. This was a fire sale. This was the front office lighting the house on fire and handing Buxton a fire extinguisher and saying, “Good luck.” And it’s brutal. Because Buxton deserves so much more than this.

He’s given everything to this franchise. His body. His best years. His faith. His loyalty. He didn’t ask for a trade. He didn’t make demands. He didn’t criticize the team. Even when it would’ve been completely understandable for him to want out, he stayed. And now he’s stuck in the twilight of his prime, playing out a career year on a team that has no chance in the short term, surrounded by rookies and journeymen and placeholders, and no guarantee that he'll still be the same player by the time the team comes out on the other side.

The worst part is, he won’t say anything. That’s not who he is. He’s not going to throw ownership under the bus. He’s not going to complain to the media. He’s going to keep playing, keep leading, keep smiling. But inside? You have to believe this hurts. You have to believe that somewhere deep down, Byron Buxton is heartbroken.

He should be chasing a playoff berth right now. He should be the centerpiece of a competitive team. Instead, he’s the last man standing on a sinking ship. And even though he chose to stay, the Twins essentially told him, “You can stay, but you’re going to be alone.”

It’s frustrating. It’s infuriating.

Byron Buxton has done everything right. And the Minnesota Twins, his team, his organization, his home, have failed him.

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What do you think about what the trade deadline says to Byron Buxton? Let us know in the comments.

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[mikelink45]

I understand Byron's choice of quality of life versus disruption and moving.  I applaud him for knowing what he wants and sticking with it.  Have the Twins failed him?  No more than they have failed the fans. 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

I appreciate this heartfelt article about Byron Buxton. He is a great team player with outstanding baseball knowledge and skills. He is a joy to watch play baseball all the time. And from what I can see, he is an even better man.  I do disagree with one word however. "The worst part is, he won't say anything." The word "worst" should be changed to "best" .

[CRF]

They failed all the players and especially the fanbase. 

[Bodie]

Hard to build around a guy trying to get to 50% of games played...

 

We knew years ago the "Buxton Era" was... cursed.  As much fun as he is to watch when he's healthy, we always have to deal with that horrible phrase "when healthy".  

Even with a Yankees or Dodgers payroll, it is nearly impossible to carry two starters for one position, let alone two starters of star quality. 

Enjoy what you got, cus he gives it all.  He'll literally play until it is impossible for him to do so.  But to think he is a building block, well, it is just silly to think his 13th season will be when it "all comes together for him".

Could it happen, (280 25 100+, 140 games played)?  Sure, it could, but to once again plan on it being so is just plain... insanity!

 

(Insanity- doing the exact same thing expecting different results)

[NYCTK]

I don't think anyone should really feel bad for him because his baseball team stinks. He has the chance to change that and actively chooses not to. 

And you can just as much make the argument that he (or rather his porcelain body) has failed the Twins. We'll see if he gets to 500 trips to the plate but it's looking less likely, and that would be 8 straight seasons. If he was good and healthy in 2023 or 2024 would the front office have pushed some chips in and tried to make a splash? We'll never know. 

Anyways, loyalty to an employer is always stupid. They don't care about you. Whether you work for McDonald's or the Minnesota Twins. 

[laloesch]

Meh let's just all relax and put our swelling bleeding hearts, emotions, and pride to the side for a moment.  Buxton is a good guy there's no doubt, and the Twins have failed in many regards especially the Pohlads, in giving him better teammates lately, but up until this season (11 seasons into his career) he was largely a source of the problem himself.  He's been wildly inconsistent in his offensive stats just like Correa was this season, going through massive sometimes multi-month droughts, where virtually every night is an ofer with multiple strikeouts, even when he wasn't injured. 

Let's be truly honest and candid here.  Aside from the Pohlads trying to sell and being 400 million in debt and 40 million in debt this season alone, Correa and Buxton are part of the reason the Twins made the decision to reboot.  It just wasn't working on offense.  This season has been THE lone exception for Buxton where he's stayed healthy and had awesome stats without prolonged droughts.  Correa on the other hand didn't show up until the very tail end of May.  A team can't consistently win when their supposed two super star players and team leaders take two months to get going offensively.  It's just not gonna fly.    

[bunsen82]

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I understand the sentiment but the roster has been pretty set since 2023, it was clear they weren’t going to win. Trading the impending free agents was expected. Trading Correa was prudent. The other relievers was messy. Stewart for peanuts and trading Varland are the 2 trades causing the most angst. 
 

I am ok with a rebuild and starting over. Depleting the relievers will be difficult and timely process. This appears to be a 2 year rebuild at best. 
 

As to Buxton, say what you will the Twins have stood by him through his multitude of injuries. There have been years where Buxton had shut it down, this year the Twins have shut it down. The Twins haven’t failed Buxton nor has Buxton failed the Twins. Both have put forward a good effort but both have imperfections.  
 

This is a painful process but we will be better off for it. We will have a new wave coming up and new hope. Hopefully new ownership as well. If the goal is to get Buxton a ring, this was probably the best move. 

[Jeff K]

10 minutes ago, NYCTK said:

I don't think anyone should really feel bad for him because his baseball team stinks. He has the chance to change that and actively chooses not to. 

And you can just as much make the argument that he (or rather his porcelain body) has failed the Twins. We'll see if he gets to 500 trips to the plate but it's looking less likely, and that would be 8 straight seasons. If he was good and healthy in 2023 or 2024 would the front office have pushed some chips in and tried to make a splash? We'll never know. 

Anyways, loyalty to an employer is always stupid. They don't care about you. Whether you work for McDonald's or the Minnesota Twins. 

thumbs down for the porcelain body comment.  He has been injured frequently.  

[MinnInPa]

9 minutes ago, laloesch said:

let's be honest here and put our swelling hearts and emotions aside.  Buxton is a good guy and the Twins have failed in many regards especially the Pohlads, but up until this season (11 seasons into his career) he has been wildly inconsistent in his offensive stats just like Correa was this season, going through massive long droughts, even when he wasn't injured, let's be brutally honest and candid here.  Those two (Correa and Buxton) are part of the reason the Twins made the decision to restart.  It wasn't the only reason, but one of them.

so true....our so called stars are not the players that can strap the team on their back and go .. Lopez, Buxton and Correa have not played to superstar levels..BUT.. this team counting on the likes of Wallner, Julien, Larnach, Miranda..even Lewis  have failed. Hopefully the next wave of Keaschal, Culpepper, Jenkins, Lee, Preilip, Amick  can bring back the glory days

[jmlease1]

I love Byron Buxton as much as anyone, and I refuse to act like his many injuries are some kind of personal failing (which often seems to be hinted at when discussing him), but the idea that the Twins failed Buxton doesn't really fit very well here. This season is really the only one where you can say it, where he's been healthy and playing great and the team hasn't been playing near his standard. Even last season he only played 102 games. Notably, in 2023 (when the team was quite good) he was injured and when he did play had one of his worst seasons as a pro. As good as he was from 2019-2022, he was hurt in every one of those seasons, and the teams were good in both 2019 & 2020...and could have used more of a healthy Buxton.

The Twins failed the fans by ratcheting up the payroll in 2023 and then yanking the rug out from all of us in 2024, which led to the failures in 2025 which featured an excellent and mostly healthy Buxton season. Not really sure they failed Buxton specifically.

But I'm glad he still wants to be here. I'm glad he wants to be a Twin for life and doesn't want to run from the hills. I'm glad one of the most exciting baseball players I've ever seen will still be here and give me a reason to go to the games I already paid for.

In conclusion, Eff the Pohlads and Sell the Team!

[Woof Bronzer]

It's bizarre that Buxton chooses to show loyalty to an organization that has made it crystal clear that the loyalty is not reciprocated.  What does that prove?  The Pohlads, like all billionaires, don't care about players or loyalty or anything that doesn't involve them hoarding more and more money.  Hard to feel too sorry for a guy who chooses to stay with a crappy organization that treats players like crap.  

[Whitey333]

Buxton has been part of the problem here.  He's always hurt.  He's had a great year thus far.  His best as a Twin.  But it's taken 10 years.  Yes literally 10 years to get to this point.  And we all know based on his history it could be over at anytime.  He's had a great year.  Let's leave it at that.  A great career?  Hardly.  

[Robert Gauthier]

It’s funny to hear the comments about how somehow Buxton is to blame for his injuries. Remember, he went to team doctors for his knees and it took three years to figure out that he had something they had missed. Once that was fixed, he’s playing much better. Is it his fault? I still hold it Byron Buxton is one of the good reasons to go to a ballpark. He is fun to watch and is a genuinely good person. He’s married to his high school, sweetheart, he’s a devoted, father, and he tries as hard as his body will let him every single game. I wonder how many of the commenters do that every day at work. It’s time to quit criticizing everybody about everything. It’s very hard to play a full season in MLB these days with travel and day night games, let’s just appreciate him for what he is.

[Galen]

It has taken him a long time to develop the consistency he has now. That's on him as well.

[rdehring]

24 minutes ago, jmlease1 said:

I love Byron Buxton as much as anyone, and I refuse to act like his many injuries are some kind of personal failing (which often seems to be hinted at when discussing him), but the idea that the Twins failed Buxton doesn't really fit very well here. This season is really the only one where you can say it, where he's been healthy and playing great and the team hasn't been playing near his standard. Even last season he only played 102 games. Notably, in 2023 (when the team was quite good) he was injured and when he did play had one of his worst seasons as a pro. As good as he was from 2019-2022, he was hurt in every one of those seasons, and the teams were good in both 2019 & 2020...and could have used more of a healthy Buxton.

The Twins failed the fans by ratcheting up the payroll in 2023 and then yanking the rug out from all of us in 2024, which led to the failures in 2025 which featured an excellent and mostly healthy Buxton season. Not really sure they failed Buxton specifically.

But I'm glad he still wants to be here. I'm glad he wants to be a Twin for life and doesn't want to run from the hills. I'm glad one of the most exciting baseball players I've ever seen will still be here and give me a reason to go to the games I already paid for.

In conclusion, Eff the Pohlads and Sell the Team!

Thought this comment is another time for me to explain my use of the smiling guy.  I really don't know what that is intended to mean.  In my case, I use it when I get a good smile from the comment.  Thanks jm for giving me that smile this morning.

[Dman]

30 minutes ago, bunsen82 said:

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I understand the sentiment but the roster has been pretty set since 2023, it was clear they weren’t going to win. Trading the impending free agents was expected. Trading Correa was prudent. The other relievers was messy. Stewart for peanuts and trading Varland are the 2 trades causing the most angst. 
 

I am ok with a rebuild and starting over. Depleting the relievers will be difficult and timely process. This appears to be a 2 year rebuild at best. 
 

As to Buxton, say what you will the Twins have stood by him through his multitude of injuries. There have been years where Buxton had shut it down, this year the Twins have shut it down. The Twins haven’t failed Buxton nor has Buxton failed the Twins. Bothe have put forward a good effort but both have imperfections.  
 

this is a painful process but we will be better off for it. We will have a new wave coming up and new hope. Hopefully new ownership as well. If the goal is to get Buxton a ring, this was probably the best move. 

I tends to agree.  If anything Buxton's teammates have let him down.  The FO believed in this team and the players around Buxton.  To the very end they appeared to be looking for signs not to move players, but the team was so bad after the All Star break they didn't leave them much choice. This team had time to prove they deserved more support, but fell flat.

Add in the pressure to reduce payroll after the TV deal became even less lucrative. Also Attendance dropped and you can see they weren't going to hold this team together for much longer anyway. They might not be done right sizing.  We'll see if Pablo makes it through the offseason not being traded.

They certainly didn't "need" to move on from Jax and Varland, but one requested a trade and they liked the deal for Varland enough to pull the trigger., Those were not cost saving moves though.

As I have written before I have a ton of respect for Buxton.  I really appreciate his loyalty to my favorite team.  Baseball is a business and performance is a big part of it.  This team needed a shakeup and it got one.  If they keep all the starting pitching and can find some hitters and bullpen arms  in the offseason this team can still compete.  If they decide to sell some starting pitching that might make things more difficult. Still this team isn't that far away. If I am Buxton let's not overreact and let's see how things look next year.

[Fire Dan Gladden]

18 minutes ago, Woof Bronzer said:

It's bizarre that Buxton chooses to show loyalty to an organization that has made it crystal clear that the loyalty is not reciprocated.  What does that prove?  The Pohlads, like all billionaires, don't care about players or loyalty or anything that doesn't involve them hoarding more and more money.  Hard to feel too sorry for a guy who chooses to stay with a crappy organization that treats players like crap.  

His decision is not loyalty to the Pohlads. It is prioritizing family and lifestyle over everything else. He wants to win like everyone else, but not at the expense of his family. He is not the first player to take this route, nor will he be the the last. Kent Hrbek turned down millions (this is 80's millions) from Detroit to stay in Minnesota.

I don't understand the point of the article. Buxton has put his body through hell to stay on the field. When healthy, he has been pretty good to great. Are we supposed to be mad at him for staying? Are we supposed to be mad at him for not publicly tearing into ownership?

Teams don't fail players, teams fail their fans. Teams have a responsibility to all of the people that watch their games, buy their merchandise, subsidize their stadium builds. That responsibility is to make an effort to win and make the product enjoyable.

BTW - Yet another article blaming the FO for the fire sale. I am beginning to think the writers here do not understand how business hierarchy works.

[NYCTK]

19 minutes ago, Robert Gauthier said:

He is fun to watch and is a genuinely good person.

 

1 hour ago, laloesch said:

Buxton is a good guy there's no doubt

Just like Kirby Puckett...

Fans need to stop acting as though they know someone because of their public persona. Buxton MAY be the world's greatest guy, but not one of us actually knows him. 

[theBOMisthebomb]

I don't know, man. This one seems like an even flip. The Twins stuck with Buxton through so many injuries and periods of poor play. I think the franchise has some equity on this one. I don't feel sorry for Buxton. He was paid handsomely by the Twins and could waive his no trade clause. As upset as I am after last Thursday, this topic doesn't register for me as a hot button. 

[Nshore]

Buxton reminds me of the guy on the plague cart in the Monty Python movie: "I'm not dead yet".

[Eris]

Which is a greater failure, hanging on to a team of perennial losers or going in a direction that might produce a better outcome down the road. Not withstanding Buxton’s own glass body, the list of individuals who have failed Buxton is quite long. In addition to the front office it should include Sano, Lewis, Julian, Miranda, Kepler, maybe Larnach, definitely Vasquez and Donaldson, and possibly Correa as his presence did not elevate the Twins. Should also include every pitcher who threw a pitch where the result was Buxton crashing into a wall to make a play. 

[Andy Brodie]

Appreciate the sentiment and Buxton, but this doesn’t touch the wasted talent of a once-in-a-franchise homegrown talent like Joe Mauer. To have never seriously pushed payroll around Mauer’s tenure to go all-in for a WS title and ring… uff da!

[bunsen82]

11 minutes ago, Dman said:

I tends to agree.  If anything Buxton's teammates have let him down.  The FO believed in this team and the players around Buxton.  To the very end they appeared to be looking for signs not to move players, but the team was so bad after the All Star break they didn't leave them much choice. This team had time to prove they deserved more support, but fell flat.

Add in the pressure to reduce payroll after the TV deal became even less lucrative. Also Attendance dropped and you can see they weren't going to hold this team together for much longer anyway. They might not be done right sizing.  We'll see if Pablo makes it through the offseason not being traded.

They certainly didn't "need" to move on from Jax and Varland, but one requested a trade and they liked the deal for Varland enough to pull the trigger., Those were not cost saving moves though.

As I have written before I have a ton of respect for Buxton.  I really appreciate his loyalty to my favorite team.  Baseball is a business and performance is a big part of it.  This team needed a shakeup and it got one.  If they keep all the starting pitching and can find some hitters and bullpen arms  in the offseason this team can still compete.  If they decide to sell some starting pitching that might make things more difficult. Still this team isn't that far away. If I am Buxton let's not overreact and let's see how things look next year.

The loyalty is impressive.  

I think the Twins were willing to work with players as they rebuilt the team.  Jax was not being shopped after we traded Duran.  It wasn't until he requested the trade.  The Jays thinking we were in full fire sale mode went after Varland and offered a very good package even though Roden isn't showing much so far.  That Varland trade was a true miscalculation on managements part.   

You can't completely go with young players you do need quality veterans to lead any rebuild.   Buxton and Lopez look like the guys to me to lead the rebuild.  I honestly think Ryan is pretty level headed.  I think he would be fine in a rebuild,  I just don't see how the Twins don't trade him since he is the most valuable piece we have unless they truly want to compete next year.   In order to do that they will have to spend on some free agents and trade some prospects to achieve even a decent bullpen.  

[srlarson]

twins kept their starting pitchers...hardest thing to get.....players traded other than Carlos....could all be back next year (they were all free agents to be).....still the hard to understand trading all three potential closers....one sure..maybe even two for awesome deals.....but keep Varland at a minimum...move him to setup man for the rest of the year..and slot him as the closer for next year....now starting from scratch in the BP for next year.....get the team sold and hopefully new owners make a commitment to winning....

[old nurse]

Baseball is a game of failure. Failing to get a hit 2 out of 3 times to the plate is great hitting.  A home run every 15th or 20th time to the plate shows you are a power hitter. Draft 20 players. If one is a great player or a couple are useful it was a good draft. In his 11 seasons he has been to the playoffs 4 times. That is better than if he would have been drafted in the next three picks.  The Twins are a failure this year. The lack of development by the hitter is on that player, the coaches or the drafting guru for not picking someone else. The same can be said for the slow starts this year of several of the veteran players added in recent years.  Injuries happen. Who is at fault that Festa and Mathews are not Lopez and Ober?  Some years are like that. Just look at Atlanta who was predicted to win the NL East and a favorite of some to dethrone the Dodgers.  Some seasons are like that. They did not blow up their team, but their assets were different. The point is, some teams have a collective bad year.

 

The rules of the baseball teams are very specific on how much debt teams can carry and how they accumulate. At 400 million the Twins are not at the debt level ceiling, but they are at the point of why spend more.  Whatever excuse you want to us doesn’t change that the locals did not increase their coming out to the ballpark, not all that watched on cable purchased the internet coverage 

[Wedman13]

2 hours ago, Bodie said:

Hard to build around a guy trying to get to 50% of games played...

 

We knew years ago the "Buxton Era" was... cursed.  As much fun as he is to watch when he's healthy, we always have to deal with that horrible phrase "when healthy".  

Even with a Yankees or Dodgers payroll, it is nearly impossible to carry two starters for one position, let alone two starters of star quality. 

Enjoy what you got, cus he gives it all.  He'll literally play until it is impossible for him to do so.  But to think he is a building block, well, it is just silly to think his 13th season will be when it "all comes together for him".

Could it happen, (280 25 100+, 140 games played)?  Sure, it could, but to once again plan on it being so is just plain... insanity!

 

(Insanity- doing the exact same thing expecting different results)

The whole article is confusing, and I love the guy.  It's been noted that Falvey was completely clear with him about tearing things down.  If Buck 'chooses' to stay, that's his decision.  Further, the org stuck with him for years and rewarded him pretty handsomely even though he couldn't play 100 games.  His fault?  No.  But it was how it played out.

im a huge fan of his, but to say he's been let down is pretty dramatic.

and not to nitpick at everything, but he wasn't the first overall pick in 2012.  I forget who was...

[ashbury]

Front offices have to make the hard decisions.  Baseball is a business - that's been the lament since pretty much the inception of professionalism in the sport 150 years ago - "those modern players, they don't play for the love of the game like my generation did."  It's good once in a while to look at the human side of it, as this article does.

[laloesch]

1 hour ago, Woof Bronzer said:

It's bizarre that Buxton chooses to show loyalty to an organization that has made it crystal clear that the loyalty is not reciprocated.  What does that prove?  The Pohlads, like all billionaires, don't care about players or loyalty or anything that doesn't involve them hoarding more and more money.  Hard to feel too sorry for a guy who chooses to stay with a crappy organization that treats players like crap.  

Hold on.  These guys are getting 15-20x the average yearly salary of most Americans.  Treat like Crap? Yeah right!  They ALL make more money in one year than most of us make in 10 lifetimes of toiling away at normal jobs, so the "who treats who, loyalty, bla bla bla stuff between the players and owners," talk (scoffs) makes me sick hearing commenters whine about it like it's their own personal plight.  It's not.  They (players and owners) are all spoiled rotten MASSIVELY overpaid babies playing a kid's game as adults.    

[David Maro]

It was hard to trade anyone injured at the deadline that has a no trade. Trading expiring contracts was wise,but gutting the BP was stupid. The SP can't go more than 4-5 innings and now they're running batting practice pitchers out to mop up the mess.

I understand Buxton didn't want to uproot his family but this team will be a AAA team for years. Everyone thought players like Julien,Miranda,Lewis and more were the future,not so much. Buxton is now on the back side of his career. He will not even see a playoff game nevertheless a WS with this organization.