The Minnesota Twins haven’t made the playoffs since 2023, but that’s not Byron Buxton’s fault. The 31-year-old center fielder notched an .850-plus OPS in each of the last two seasons and was tied for 13th in baseball with 35 homers across 126 games in 2025.

Buxton boasts a career OPS of .795 over 898 games, and he recorded career-highs in homers, RBIs (83), hits (129), and walks (41) this past season. The Twins selected the Georgia native No. 2 overall in the 2012 MLB Draft, and he’s consistently produced since making his big-league debut in 2015.

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However, Minnesota hasn’t gotten past the AL Division Series since then, and it hasn’t even gotten to Game 5 of that series. It lost the AL Wild Card Game to the New York Yankees in 2017, got swept by the Yankees in the AL Division Series in 2019, got swept by the Houston Astros in the AL Wild Card Round in 2020, and lost in four games to the Astros in the 2023 AL Division Series.

Buxton is scheduled for unrestricted free agency in 2029, per Spotrac. However, the two-time All-Star has said multiple times that he wants to finish his career with the Twins, even saying “I ain’t goin’ nowhere” in August, via Twins TV.

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Buxton’s full no-trade clause ends after the 2026 season, followed by a five-team trade list kicking in for the final two years, per Spotrac. However, if the veteran is serious about finishing his career in Minnesota, the team should extend his contract and re-tool the squad around him.

How can the Twins become contenders with Buxton?

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez. © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez. © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Last season showed that Minnesota needs a pitching makeover. The team finished 24th in MLB with a 4.55 ERA, 0.36 points behind the closest playoff team (the Toronto Blue Jays, who ranked 19th). The only reason the Blue Jays succeeded with a below-average ERA was because they ranked third with a .760 OPS. Meanwhile, the Twins were tied for 17th at .707.

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It’s unlikely that they will suddenly become elite on both sides of the ball next season, so they should prioritize pitching. Right-handers Pablo Lopez (5-4, 2.74 ERA in 2025) and Joe Ryan (13-10, 3.42 ERA) give them a competenet 1-2 punch atop the starting rotation, but they need help outside of that.

Signing free-agent hurlers like Framber Valdez (13-11, 3.66 ERA), Pete Fairbanks (27 saves, 2.83 ERA), and Lucas Giolito (10-4, 3.41 ERA) would go a long way toward making the Twins legitimate threats in the AL Central again. If they can keep their offense average while having one of the better pitching staffs in baseball, they’ll have an easier time convincing Buxton to stick around for good, which would extend their championship window.