The Minnesota Twins entered the MLB offseason facing questions about their direction after a 70-92 finish in 2025, but clarity arrived last week when Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the club does not anticipate trading star outfielder Byron Buxton. According to Rosenthal, Minnesota has informed teams that Buxton, Joe Ryan, and Pablo López are players they intend to keep while building a competitive roster for 2026. Rival clubs are expected to continue checking in, but any deal would require an overwhelming offer.

“The Twins do not anticipate moving center fielder Byron Buxton or right-handers Joe Ryan and Pablo López, according to league sources briefed on their plans,” Rosenthal wrote. “Minnesota’s goal is to keep those players, build around them and compete in 2026... Rival clubs interested in Ryan, Buxton and López almost certainly will keep pushing to acquire them, as teams always seek to add high-end players. The Twins will listen, as clubs in their position are obligated to do. But it likely would take an overwhelming offer for any of the three to be traded.”

For the Twins, choosing stability around a franchise cornerstone makes sense. Buxton has repeatedly expressed a desire to remain in Minnesota, holds a no-trade clause, and remains one of the organization’s most beloved players. Those factors alone always made a move unlikely, and when layered with the season he just produced, the Twins’ position becomes even more justified.

In 2025, Buxton delivered one of the strongest all-around campaigns of his career. Across 126 games, he hit .264 with 35 home runs, 83 RBIs, 97 runs scored and 24 stolen bases. His .878 OPS was the second-highest of his career, and his 4.9 WAR tied a career high. This was the type of season that reminds the league exactly what he is capable of when healthy, and why the Twins have always been so reluctant to entertain moving him.

Buxton’s injury history often dominates conversations, but when healthy, he changes both the energy and ceiling of the Twins. That dynamic mattered last season and matters even more as Minnesota tries to rebound in an AL Central that rarely produces a runaway favorite. Every year, the division typically stays within reach well into September. Keeping a player like Buxton gives Minnesota a puncher’s chance to climb back into the division race in 2026, especially if the Detroit Tigers move Tarik Skubal and the Cleveland Guardians continue their reluctance to spend.

Rosenthal’s report also highlights something organizationally important: the Twins are not approaching 2026 as a teardown. Keeping Buxton does not guarantee the Twins will surge back into playoff contention, but it does undoubtedly make them more competitive. With Buxton coming off a major season, and a division that is never too far out of reach, Minnesota’s decision to keep their franchise player is the right one.