The Minnesota Twins haven't made the playoffs since 2023, and their 15-20 start this year doesn't suggest that this season will be different. On the bright side, center fielder Byron Buxton is playing to his potential.

The 32-year-old leads the squad with 10 homers, a .313 on-base percentage, and 34 hits over 32 games. The two-time All-Star won AL Player of the Week honors on Monday, as he hit .345 with a 1.303 OPS, five homers and seven RBIs over the last week.

Buxton is showing no signs of slowing down after earning his second All-Star nod last season, when he slashed .264/.327/.551 with a career-high 35 homers and 83 RBIs over 126 games. There's never been a better time to trade the 6-foot-1, 190-pounder, as he's on pace to play 100-plus games in three straight seasons for the first time.

Minnesota's record despite Buxton's individual success shows that the squad isn't ready to contend yet. That's why trading the 2025 Silver Slugger is the best course of action.

Buxton is signed through 2028, but there's no guarantee that the Twins will be a championship-level team by then. The Georgia native is a "win-now" player who would make more sense on a club trying to win the World Series this year. 

The Twins could flip Buxton to a winning team for young big-leaguers and/or prospects to aid their rebuild. While players like starting pitcher Taj Bradley, left fielder Austin Martin, and shortstop Brooks Lee are promising pieces, they don't have a young cornerstone.

All-Star starting pitcher Joe Ryan is 29, but he has a mutual option in his contract for 2027. Minnesota can't bank on the right-hander sticking around long-term, but they could trade him and/or Buxton for players who fit that bill more.

However, that requires the Twins to be honest about where they are. If they think their current squad is good enough to contend, then they likely won't make rebuild-type trades. But if they evaluate their past and current form, the truth is clear. On the bright side, the MLB trade deadline is August 3, so Minnesota still has plenty of time

Up next for the Twins is a road trip against the Washington Nationals and the Cleveland Guardians. Their series with the Nationals starts on Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. ET. Bradley will start the game against right-hander Cade Cavalli.