Despite the growing trade speculations, Byron Buxton has remained totally unfazed. The Minnesota Twins star has been linked with potential trade deadline moves amid the franchise’s uncertain direction. But the 32-year-old refuses to listen to the noise. Instead, he promised to stay with the only major league team he has ever played for.

“I don’t give a f**k,” Buxton told Dan Hayes of The Athletic when asked about the trade rumors. “End of the day, nobody’s in my shoes. Nobody can say anything about what I’m going to do. I know what I’m doing.”

The Twins selected him from the amateur draft in 2012. And Buxton made his MLB debut for Minnesota in 2015. He signed a seven-year, $100 million extension in 2022 and has a no-trade clause in his contract. Yet the trade speculations around him refuse to die down. That’s why he had to emphasize his commitment to the team. 

“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,” the 2025 AL Silver Slugger winner added. “I ain’t said nothing about leaving, nor will I. I’m a Twin.”

Notably, Byron Buxton is batting .270, and his .919 OPS is his second-best in his career. He is third in the league with 23 homers. And 2x All-Star is also one of the best center fielders this season. This makes him one of the most valuable pieces in the Twins’ roster. 

However, the rumors are actually less about him. They are more about the franchise he is dedicated to. 

Minnesota’s recent moves fuel the deadline questions

The Twins were sitting six games below a .500 win percentage last summer. And to improve the situation, they went on a fire sale. Minnesota traded away 10 major leaguers, including 3x All-Star Carlos Correa, at the trade deadline. While they were able to trim down the payroll, it didn’t really help their season, as they finished 4th with 70-92.

Like 2025, the Twins face a big choice before the deadline this year. They either go for a rebuild or try to win now. However, Buxton’s firm choice to stay in Minnesota is very different from Correa’s exit.

This year, they are third in the AL Central with a 36-40 record. They are still within striking distance (1.5 games behind) of a Wild Card spot. So why the trade buzz now? 

It’s their inconsistency that is creating major uncertainty around their chances. They just won four games in a row, including a clean sweep of the Texas Rangers. But they still have a losing record overall. Because the team goes up and down so much, Buxton is right at the center of trade talks. Many people expect the team to trade away players like it did last year.

But the fact that Buxton has a 10-and-5 (he had a no-trade clause anyway) creates a huge roadblock. This means the franchise has to approach him directly and request that he waive the clause. That is, if they want to trade him. 

This is why he put it all on the Twins while making his stand clear. But Minnesota isn’t in dire need to offload him. There’s still about six weeks remaining before the window closes. 

Whether the trade buzz grows stronger depends less on Byron Buxton and more on how the Minnesota Twins perform in the next few weeks.