Isaac Ciravolo
The Minnesota Twins currently sit five games below .500 and 4.5 games back from the first place Chicago White Sox for the AL Central division lead. Coming up to the 2026 trade deadline, the Twins position themselves to be light sellers unlike their complete demolition of their lineup at the 2025 deadline. General Manager Jeremy Zoll defined this team as such by removing the organization’s most valuable asset from the transaction block.
Addressing escalating speculation, Zoll firmly shut down any possibility of the Twins trading franchise center fielder Byron Buxton this summer.
“We have no plans to trade Byron,” Zoll told reporters (via Betsy Helfand of The St. Paul Pioneer-Press). “It’s not something we’re exploring. It’s not something we plan to explore… He wants to be here. 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.”
Buxton’s Production and No-Trade Clause
If Buxton were available, he would instantly become the most sought-after position player on the market. Following a Silver Slugger campaign in 2025, he is currently having a monster 2026 season. Entering the week, Buxton posted a .275/.332/.595 slash line with an 87th percentile Batting Run Value, good for his second best all-time only behind 2025’s. He is also quietly tied for the AL lead in home runs with known slugger Houston Astros‘ Yordan Alvarez.
Beyond his elite production, trading Buxton was always going to be a massive hurdle for rival executives. He possesses a full no-trade clause and remains on a highly club-friendly contract, earning just $15 million annually through the 2028 season. Buxton loses his full no-trade clause after this season and drops to a five-team trade list making him an enticing trade asset once again next year should he put up his usual elite numbers.
Buxton himself expressed the same sentiment as the front office earlier in June.
“Nobody can say anything about what I’m going to do,” Buxton said. “The only way I’m getting out of here — they’re going to have to come talk to me and tell me something else. Simple as that. I ain’t said nothing about leaving, nor will I. I’m a Twin.”
Minnesota’s Deadline
With Buxton officially off the table, the Twins look towards starting pitcher Joe Ryan and catcher Ryan Jeffers to receive the majority of trade speculation. Being a very streaky team, if they cannot string another set of wins together before the trade deadline, expect one or both of these targets to be dealt.
Joe Ryan has been elite for the past three years with 71st percentile being his lowest Pitching Run Value in that span. He also is on a one year six million dollar arbitration contract and has a mutual option for 2027 that if declined would make him arbitration eligible once again. This deal is very friendly to both him and the team should he be traded or not.
Ryan Jeffers, prior to suffering a left hamate bone injury in May, was putting up an elite season at the plate. With a .949 OPS and a (unqualified) .389 xwOBA, Jeffers was positioning himself to be the top catching trade prospect this deadline. Main Yankees catcher Austin Wells, who was just activated from the 10-day-il on June 21, has struggled at the plate this year making the Yankees a top team linked to Jeffers for this trade deadline.
While any blockbuster proposals for Byron Buxton has been put to rest, the Twins still look to get value from some of their top players and continue their rebuild. You should expect them to trade Joe Ryan or Ryan Jeffers at this August 3rd trade deadline.
