Byron Buxton Continues to Validate the Best Decision in the History of the Twins Franchise

[Nick Nelson]

Image courtesy of erome Miron-Imagn Images

I vividly remember the day: December 1st, 2021. I was in Jamaica for a friend's wedding, already steeped in sunny bliss, when I opened my phone and saw the news: Buxton inks 7-year extension to remain a Twin. One of the more joyful moments I can remember.

As Byron Buxton plays at an MVP-level and positions himself for a second straight All-Star appearance, it can be easy to forget just how close this franchise-altering contract extension came to not happening. With the lockout looming that winter — a three-month shutdown would commence the following day, on December 2nd — there was a sense that it was now-or-never for a Buxton extension. If he were to enter his final season under contract without one in place, he was all but assured to test free agency.

Those weeks leading up to the lockout were frustrating, as reports painted a picture of reasonable demands from Buxton's camp and a Twins front office that inexplicably balked at low-risk propositions. Eventually the two sides got a deal done, and it was a favorable one for club: seven years, $100 million with ambitious incentives. The definition of a team-friendly pact, but also one that satisfied Buxton's target for a nine-digit guaranteed payday. 

I've never been more grateful for any move this team has made. It was a total win/win that's very much been proven out as such over time.

For Buxton, the peace of mind was valuable. He put together an All-Star first half in 2022 but wore down in the second half, giving way to an injury-wrecked 2023 campaign that saw him reduced to a near replacement-level player, posting below-average production as a full-time DH. At that time, Buxton's future was very much in doubt but he at least had the financial security of his guaranteed long-term deal. 

Of course, knowing Buxton, he wasn't going to let that security stop him from giving his all to overcome the health woes that continually plagued him. A knee surgery in the following offseason finally delivered the answer. Buxton returned to center field in 2024 and played 102 games, his most in seven years. Then he took another step forward in 2025, setting a career high with 542 plate appearances while making the All-Star team, participating in the Home Run Derby and placing 11th in the MVP voting. 

Here at age 32, Buxton has somehow unlocked another gear. He is near the top of the league leaderboard for home runs after popping five in the past week to push his season total to 23. He's on pace for 6.3 fWAR in over 600 plate appearances, which would easily surpass last year's personal bests.

Buxton came into this season with a chip on his shoulder after placing outside of the top 10 in last year's MVP balloting, to his financial detriment. He's at no risk of that happening again if he stays on this track. He's posting elite numbers as an (almost) everyday center fielder, and if you want to talk about value to his team specifically, Buxton leads Twins position players in WAR by more than a full win. 

And to think, he could've been doing it all elsewhere. Can you imagine?

I'll admit, I might be biased in calling Buxton's extension the best move in Twins history. He is my favorite player ever. A great person, who has never ruffled feathers and is constantly heralded by those around him. A great player, with a uniquely spectacular set of skills: elite power, speed and defense that enable him to impact games in a multitude of ways.

But above all, what really differentiates Buxton from almost any player I've followed is the character and loyalty. He doesn't just talk the talk about his commitment to the Twins, he has backed it up — first by signing that team-friendly contract back in 2021, and more recently by reiterating repeatedly his desire to hold to his no-trade clause and retire a Twin. 

Sure, you could say similar things about a guy like Joe Mauer, who also bypassed the possibility of a bigger free agency payday by signing an extension and staying home in 2009. But for Mauer, Minnesota was just that: home. Buxton joined the Twins franchise in 2012 as a skinny teenager from Baxley, GA, with no real ties to the local community. His loyalty was built through the experiences and relationships he's made here. It's special.

And if I'm being honest, it makes me feel all the more bitter toward a Twins franchise that is unwilling to reward that loyalty with a competitive effort around Buxton as he reaches his full potential in the late stage of his prime. This roster's shortcomings entering the season were plain to see, regardless of Tom Pohlad's lip service, and now we're seeing what happens as an undermanned team ventures into the heart of the season: they are predictably running aground. 

Maybe it'll change. Maybe the latest Pohlad figurehead will prove true to his word with a more ambitious approach to supporting the major-league roster. There are reasons for optimism. The Twins have assembled an impressive wave of young pitching talent, with several highly regarded prospects nearing the big leagues. The foundation for another competitive run is there if ownership is willing to supplement it.

But hope doesn't stop the clock.

Buxton turns 33 next season. As remarkable as his late-career renaissance has been, age remains undefeated. In some ways, that's the great tragedy of his career. Injuries robbed baseball fans of seeing this version of Buxton over the span of a decade. Had his body cooperated, we might be talking about a player building a Hall of Fame résumé instead of one still trying to make up for lost time.

What's more frustrating is that when the Twins were at their strongest and making playoff runs over the past decade — 2019, 2020 and 2023 — Buxton was either sidelined or significantly limited. Now, at long last, we're getting the sustained, MVP-caliber version of the player everyone always imagined. The problem is that the team around him isn't holding up its end of the bargain.

As a fan, that's where I find myself conflicted. More than anything, I want Buxton to retire a Twin. I want him to be remembered as one of the greatest players in franchise history and to finally experience the sustained success that has so often eluded him. But increasingly, my desire to see Byron Buxton thrive in October outweighs my desire to watch him put up monster seasons for a mediocre baseball team.

That's a difficult feeling to wrestle with when your favorite player has spent his entire career showing loyalty to one organization. Yet as Buxton continues validating the best contract decision the Twins have ever made, the franchise faces a simple question: are they going to give him a real chance to finish the story he stayed here to write?

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[friedbrycenbeans]

I don't want to see Buxton win with another team. I want to see him win with the Twins. If he takes a look around and come to the conclusion "I can't win with these cats" and wants out, I will be watching every AB he takes in October. 

But cripes man. We don't have much as Twins fans. Can we at least have this? 

Maybe... just maybe... some of these prospects will actually hit and thrive at the major league level (and not just for one singular year). And Buck can be the veteran presence that leads a new, young core to relevance. (I say this as Culpepper heads the IL cuz of course).

I don't know. I'm going to be selfish here. I'm not one of those people constantly saying "I hope he waives his no trade clause and goes and plays for a winner". I understand why you feel that way. But I love Buxton too much to see him play in another uniform. 

 

[offensive_loons_fan]

This article just about making my cry here on a Tuesday afternoon, come on.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

There have certainly been players who were his equal or better, but the combination of his talent, the economics of it all, and his loyalty is really something special.  I'm in the camp of not wanting to see him traded, but I certainly won't blame him if it goes that direction.  Maybe his legacy could ultimately be as the guy whose trade return set the Twins up for a better future.  Not as good as "Led team to WS championship", but much better than our current situation. 

[TheLeviathan]

People will probably forget that in 2021 the Buxton we see today wasn't exactly the one we slapped this contract on.  Byron was an incredible player, but one that couldn't get to 400 at-bats in a season.  (He was somewhere between 250 and 300 depending on how you want to count his early career)  As a result he took a deal that offered the team significant upside in what they were paying him versus his talent if he could stay on the field in exchange for him getting a life changing guarantee of money that he may not have gotten if he gambled on his health. 

Luckily for him (and the team), in his late prime he has found the ability to be a much more consistent player in terms of availablity.  The contract has worked out beautifully, I only wish Buxton would've hit the escalators and got the payouts he deserved.  

[Linus]

It’s too damn bad they didn’t figure out the plica problem earlier. I’m sure limping around on a bum knee caused other issues. Since the surgery he’s been as available as most big leaguers and we are seeing the results. I give zero credit to Falvey on the extension. Buck left money on the table to get the deal done. I want him to stay as well because he is a great role model for what hopefully will be a bunch of younger players. Plus, he’s a bit of a unicorn in that he is maintaining elite speed into his 30s. I mean with his natural speed and power he could play well beyond his current contract. 

[Dman]

I will say the Buxton deal has been a roller coaster ride for me.  I was one of many who cheered that deal as fair for both sides and admired Byron for being willing to make such a deal.  Then he was injured so much right after that I felt that I may have been wrong.  That he could never be fixed and the money was wasted.

Right now here today I hope he never leaves.  He is the one indispensable player on this team.  His kind of team loyalty just doesn't happen much anymore.  I have great admiration for the man who loves my team as much as I do. 

My only wish is that the team that looked like it might be coming together after his deal could have realized its potential instead of falling apart. If he stays healthy it would be nice to see him make more money as well.

I wish nothing but good things for the player I love to watch at the plate and in the field.  I hope he stays a Twin for the rest of his career.

[jkcarew]

Are we to ignore the multiple seasons of injury and underperformance prior to the last couple seasons? There’s a very good reason he and his agent grabbed the “discount”. In the first year of the contract, 2023… the one and only season the club was good enough to win a postseason series…he produced exactly nothing in the effort. The next season he missed 60 games. It’s paid off the last two season big-time. He’s having a great season on the heals of a very good season. Unfortunately, it’s wasted on this club. If I were him, I’d seek a trade to a team with a real chance this year and over the next couple of years. He doesn’t owe this organization anything. Personally, I’d love to see him legitimately play for a championship…more fun if it was for the Twins,,,but would still be fun.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Great article Nick. Truly written from your heart. Thanks.

[LastOnePicked]

Please don't say "in the history of the franchise" when you clearly mean "in the last few years."

In 1991, the Twins needed an ace and signed Jack Morris, who went on to pitch an eleven-inning shutout in the greatest Game 7 victory in the history of MLB.

Buxton is raking on a 90-loss club. He's a wonderful ballplayer, but he's also just a potentially untradeable asset on a team the desperately needs to refresh its system with top-level prospects.

The Buxton signing is not that epic and it hasn't led to much at all. Sorry.