The Longer Byron Buxton Stays, the Harder It Gets to Imagine Him Leaving

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

There are moments in a franchise’s history that feel bigger than the box score. On Sunday, the Minnesota Twins took time to recognize one of those moments as Byron Buxton reached 10 years of Major League service time. It's the kind of milestone that speaks less about a single season and more about everything that came before it.

For Buxton, the journey to Sunday's celebration was winding and perilous. It included injuries, setbacks, and questions about what could have been. Eventually, though, it brought him to a secure place among the most accomplished players in franchise history.

Reaching a decade of service time is rare territory. Fewer than 10% of players get there, and the list of those who have done it exclusively with the Twins is a roll call of legends. Kirby Puckett. Rod Carew. Joe Mauer. Kent Hrbek. Tony Oliva. The names carry weight because of what they meant to winning baseball in Minnesota.

Buxton is now part of that group, and has the statistical resume to back it up. He sits sixth in franchise history in stolen bases, ninth in home runs, and continues to climb in multiple categories that reflect both longevity and impact. Those numbers tell the story of a player who has produced when healthy and electrified when at his best.

Of course, he was rarely healthy for much of that time, and because he was often playing through something even when he was on the field, he hasn't always been able to demonstrate his best. After he debuted in 2015, he struggled to overcome the injuries that often disrupted his seasons. He was optioned back to the minors for stretches of both 2016 and 2018, which delayed his reaching the 10-year service mark until 2026. For some players, those detours derail everything. For Buxton, they have become part of the story that makes this moment resonate more.

It's not just about 10 years. It's about everything he had to push through to get there. That perspective makes what he did in 2025 feel even more important. Buxton delivered the best season of his career, earning an All-Star selection, taking home a Silver Slugger, and finishing 11th in the American League MVP race. He showed what the fully realized version of himself looks like over an extended stretch—power, speed, defense, and a presence that changes games.

Though Buxton is off to a slow start in 2026, nothing about his standing within the organization has changed. A brief injury scare over the weekend served as a reminder of how quickly things can feel uncertain, but his return to the lineup just as quickly reinforced how central he is to everything this team does and how fiercely he wants to be on the field whenever possible.

None of that quite guarantees that Buxton will spend the balance of his career (or even the balance of his contract, which runs through 2028) in Minnesota. Nor do his 10-and-5 rights (all players who reach 10 years of big-league service and have had five years of continual service with one team have the right to refuse a trade) or the no-trade clause in his contract, which rendered the wait for those rights moot and shielded him from being dealt at last summer's fire sale. The team's future is unclear, and they might approach him this summer (or later on) about the possibility of moving him.

When Buxton says he wants to spend his entire career in Minnesota, though, it doesn't sound like a generic answer. It sounds like a player who understands exactly what this uniform means, and what it would mean to finish what he started.

For the Twins, that reality matters. Trading a superstar is always difficult. Trading one who has become a bridge between eras; who is climbing leaderboards next to Hall of Fame names; and who has endured everything in a Twins uniform is something else entirely. It's not just a baseball decision. It's a cultural one.

As Buxton continues to add to his resume, those decisions only get harder. At some point, the conversation stops being about what you could get in return and starts being about what it would mean to let a player like this finish somewhere else.

Right now, Buxton isn't just building a career. He's building a case to be remembered alongside the greatest players this franchise has ever seen. With every milestone, every highlight, and every season that adds to his story, the idea of him wearing anything other than a Twins jersey feels a little less realistic—or at least a little less tolerable.

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What stands out about Buxton’s 10 years with the Twins? Is there a scenario where Buxton could be traded? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

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[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

I'd love to see Buck play his entire career in Minnesota. But, loyalty is a two way street. Everyone has a breaking point. If ownership continues on the current path and it becomes more obvious that Buxton is going to finish his career on a 70 win team, all bets are off, IMHO.

[Coach Wheels]

Buxton has been a very good Twin. I would not put him on the level of guys who won rings in 87 and 91 or Killebrew, Oliva, Carew, and maybe Allison but, when he's been healthy he's been all the Twins hoped.for. 

I do believe the right thing to do is get him to a contender and let him try to win a ring but, if not, he'll be a very good leader for this group.

[Whitey333]

Although I'm not a huge Buxton fan, I never have been, he has brought some very entertaining baseball to Twins fans when he is able to play.  Will he be in Twins Hall of Fame?  Probably yes.  Does he belong there?  Maybe.  We all wish we could have watched an injury free Buck a lot more than we did.  I wish him the best.  

[Jeff K]

I am a huge fan of the guy.  There have been very few players who are as electric when healthy.  I get that he hasn't been healthy as much as anyone would like, but the guy is a joy to watch.  I sincerely hope he remains with the Twins, but more importantly for Buck, that he does what is best for he and his family.

[stringer bell]

Buxton recently passed 900 games, so he’s averaging just over 90 games per year on the roster. Think if he’d averaged 50% more (135 per year). At the same rates, he would be around 250 homers, 180 steals and around 45 WAR. As it is, he was a worthwhile #2 overall pick in his draft year and someone to look up to as a player and a person.

I haven’t been his biggest fan, but as time goes on I’ve respected his desire and commitment more and more. 

[Rod Carews Birthday]

Buxton is a really good baseball player and a at really good guy.  He’s exactly the kind of player that you hope the team and fans will embrace so that his entire career can be in Minnesota (as long as he wants it).  He is undoubtedly a Twins Hall of Famer, and playing his entire career here would be special for all of us.  IF at some point he wants to go somewhere, I would hope that he is accommodated, and if he wants to stay, I hope he is not hassled about it.  He’s been through a lot and has earned that respect.  

I did not start out a Buxton fan — I was more a Polanco and Eddie Rosario guy, but he’s convinced me to join him on the Buck Truck!

[bean5302]

1 hour ago, Twins_Fan_in_NJ said:

I'd love to see Buck play his entire career in Minnesota. But, loyalty is a two way street. Everyone has a breaking point. If ownership continues on the current path and it becomes more obvious that Buxton is going to finish his career on a 70 win team, all bets are off, IMHO.

I've never understood this sentiment. Virtually every time the Twins have needed Buxton in the playoffs, he's been hurt.

The Twins gave him a 7 year contract with full no trade protection when I don't think any team in baseball would have given him more than 3 and without any NTC if Buxton were to have reached free agency.

Buxton has led the Twins position players in WAR just 2x in his career. 2021 and 2025. Reports have made it clear he's a team leader in the clubhouse and a stabilizing force who has been with the team a long time. The fact Buxton is the face of the franchise says more about the front office than it does Buxton.

[Gamblerssoftball]

The total accumulated wear and tear on his body is really only about 7-8 years. There's no reason to be doubtful about his next 3-4 years as a highly productive player. His triple the other day shows that he's not lost very much speed. Once he gets the bat going, he can carry a team for a while. I'm happy that he wants to be a Twin for life.

[Blyleven2011]

Nothing but rain drops in centerfield  , buxton has been the best centerfielder when healthy to wear a twins uniform  ...

Sure would be nice if he stays healthy like 2025 and has the same results ...

Pitchers adore a gold glove type centerfielder ...

[IndianaTwin]

Of note is that Buxton's 29.6 bWAR is currently behind only Carew (63.7), Killebrew (60.5), Puckett (51.1), Oliva (43.1), Hrbek (38.6), Knoblauch (38.0) and Allison (34.2) among Twins hitters (including Killebrew's and Allison's times as Senators).

With three seasons left on his contract, if he averages even 4.0 per year, he'll pass Hrbek and be approaching Oliva. With three years like last year or even a single-year extension, he could easily pass Oliva as well. 

With the regular emphasis on "what might have been" with Buxton, it's easy to overlook what he has done. 

 

 

 

[Rod Carews Birthday]

16 minutes ago, IndianaTwin said:

Of note is that Buxton's 29.6 bWAR is currently behind only Carew (63.7), Killebrew (60.5), Puckett (51.1), Oliva (43.1), Hrbek (38.6), Knoblauch (38.0) and Allison (34.2) among Twins hitters (including Killebrew's and Allison's times as Senators).

With three seasons left on his contract, if he averages even 4.0 per year, he'll pass Hrbek and be approaching Oliva. With three years like last year or even a single-year extension, he could easily pass Oliva as well. 

With the regular emphasis on "what might have been" with Buxton, it's easy to overlook what he has done. 

 

 

 

Point well taken, but you forgot that Mauer kid. . . 

 

[IndianaTwin]

56 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

I've never understood this sentiment. Virtually every time the Twins have needed Buxton in the playoffs, he's been hurt.

The Twins gave him a 7 year contract with full no trade protection when I don't think any team in baseball would have given him more than 3 and without any NTC if Buxton were to have reached free agency.

Buxton has led the Twins position players in WAR just 2x in his career. 2021 and 2025. Reports have made it clear he's a team leader in the clubhouse and a stabilizing force who has been with the team a long time. The fact Buxton is the face of the franchise says more about the front office than it does Buxton.

And 2017. And the partial 2020 season. And missed by 0.1 in 2024. 

[jjswol]

That all depends on how long Buxton wants to play. Some players can't walk away from the game, they need the jersey ripped off their back. Look at Killebrew, seeing him in a Royals jersey is just plain wrong.

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

16 minutes ago, jjswol said:

That all depends on how long Buxton wants to play. Some players can't walk away from the game, they need the jersey ripped off their back. Look at Killebrew, seeing him in a Royals jersey is just plain wrong.

Buck has missed a lot of time over the course of his career so I guess one could argue he has less mileage than your 'typical' 10-year player but the injuries add up and probably take more of a toll than if he had been healthy and playing in ~150 games a year. I would be mildly surprised if he played beyond 2028 but what do I know...

[IndianaTwin]

44 minutes ago, Rod Carews Birthday said:

Point well taken, but you forgot that Mauer kid. . . 

 

Oh yeah, him too. 😀

[rdehring]

The most joyful moment I have had this year was watching Buxton's triple the other day.  Whether it is in center field or running the bases, the man is a joy to watch.  I for one, hope he remains with the Twins for his entire career. 

When Luke Keaschall has his ten-year moment with the Twins, he might refer to what Buxton meant to him prior to Buxton's retirement a few years earlier.  Yes, I hope we continue seeing Buxton playing with the Twins for at least another six or seven years.  That pair will bring so much joy to all Twins fans. 

Hopefully, one of the current group of young outfielders will be as special to make it a threesome.  Add a few other solid players, some real good pitching and a great manager and they just might enjoy a championship right here at Target Field.

[bean5302]

2 hours ago, IndianaTwin said:

And 2017. And the partial 2020 season. And missed by 0.1 in 2024. 

I'm looking at fWAR. You look at whatever you want to try to justify your position. The Twins don't owe Buxton anything.

[LambchoP]

Buck is one of the few reasons to watch the Twins this year. Hopefully he stays for his whole career. He could be a great mentor for the young outfielders coming up.

[IndianaTwin]

21 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

I'm looking at fWAR. You look at whatever you want to try to justify your position. The Twins don't owe Buxton anything.

I used bWAR, which has him and Dozier flipped in 2017 and he and Cruz flipped in 2020. But whichever you use, it's pretty hard to argue that he has been anything but the Twins best position player over the time he's been up. It's not like he's only had two good seasons.

And I wasn't trying to justify a position, but to provide a fuller picture of what he's done. I also wasn't suggesting the Twins owe Buxton anything, whether it's to extend him even further or to trade him to a team that increases the likelihood of making the playoffs.

 

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

The reality of the situation is, 'whether the Twins owe Buxton anything', it isn't a question that the fans will answer. The Twins will answer that question and based on the amount of love they showed him for his 10 year anniversary, you can see they respect him as a person and as a player. IYAM, conversations about his future in Minnesota will continue to be had and I think the Twins will do what Buxton wants - even if it means trading him elsewhere.  

[Twinsrtheworst]

1 hour ago, bean5302 said:

I'm looking at fWAR. You look at whatever you want to try to justify your position. The Twins don't owe Buxton anything.

But you quoted WAR not fWAR. There is a difference. 

[jkcarew]

If he cared at all about his professional legacy, he’d demand a trade. But it’s quite easy to get comfortable with $15M a year and an adoring fan base with almost zero expectations.

[ashbury]

2 hours ago, jkcarew said:

If he cared at all about his professional legacy, he’d demand a trade. But it’s quite easy to get comfortable with $15M a year and an adoring fan base with almost zero expectations.

Geez loiuse.  What are you implying about his character with that?

[KirbyDome89]

8 hours ago, bean5302 said:

I've never understood this sentiment. Virtually every time the Twins have needed Buxton in the playoffs, he's been hurt.

The Twins gave him a 7 year contract with full no trade protection when I don't think any team in baseball would have given him more than 3 and without any NTC if Buxton were to have reached free agency.

Buxton has led the Twins position players in WAR just 2x in his career. 2021 and 2025. Reports have made it clear he's a team leader in the clubhouse and a stabilizing force who has been with the team a long time. The fact Buxton is the face of the franchise says more about the front office than it does Buxton.

Who doesn't want to feel like they're being set up for success? If you're workplace is dysfunctional, wouldn't you consider a change? 

Buxton signed the extension coming off a season where he was an AS, posted a 133 OPS+ and he was still playing elite CF defense at 27 years of age. Idk if he was capped at 3 years.

Buxton has posted 13 WAR since signing that extension. He's earned $55M in that span, which is roughly half of what teams are paying for that WAR production in FA. It was largely panned as a team friendly deal the day he signed it, and it has certainly lived up to that billing. Hell, guys like Joey Gallo and Christian Vazquez were making almost as much as Buck annually during their Twins tenure. The NTC has been anything but an albatross. 

The Buxton extension has (at least so far) been a great deal for the Twins. 

[jkcarew]

10 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Geez loiuse.  What are you implying about his character with that?

I would separate a players personal character from how he approaches his profession…certainly for the most part. There’s nothing morally ‘wrong’ with wanting the comfortable or ‘known’, I don’t think. It’s his professional legacy I’m talking about. It’s a very short profession, and one where the ultimate reward and objective is to contribute to a championship (and he and his family have no connections that will keep them in Minnesota permanently regardless). The time is now for him. I would expect him to be putting more pressure on the org to win or be moved. Maybe he is behind the scenes. We’ll know for sure at least by next offseason.

[KirbyDome89]

2 hours ago, jkcarew said:

If he cared at all about his professional legacy, he’d demand a trade. But it’s quite easy to get comfortable with $15M a year and an adoring fan base with almost zero expectations.

This isn't the NBA or NFL where stupid "ring culture," debates detract from actual production. Mike Trout has played in a whopping 3 postseason games, and he has exactly one career postseason hit. I think his professional legacy is just fine. 

Also, the guy (Buxton) has a family. Lives exist outside of baseball. I disagree that securing generational wealth and choosing not to uproot your family makes you complacent. 

[IndianaTwin]

8 hours ago, rdehring said:

The most joyful moment I have had this year was watching Buxton's triple the other day.  Whether it is in center field or running the bases, the man is a joy to watch.  I for one, hope he remains with the Twins for his entire career....

My comment in that day's game thread was that I love watching Buxton hit a stand up double and end up on third base. Similarly I've long said that one reason he doesn't get a huge number of steals is that teams have to play deep so his singles often turn into doubles. 

My favorite was the one the other day where he beat out an infield single that was reversed on appeal, advanced to second on a sac fly, drew an errant pickoff throw at second to advance to third and then scored on another sac fly. 

[mnfireman]

The only way he leaves is if he wants to. He has passed the no-trade part of his contract and turned it into 10 & 5 rights...not going anywhere he doesn't want to go.

[dxpavelka]

Just a thought:  Let's not "wish" him into wanting to leave.  Even if it might bring something in return.  Some things are best left where they are.