Why Phillies likely won't trade for Twins' Byron Buxton

Matt Sullivan

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Why Phillies likely won't trade for Twins' Byron Buxton image

The Philadelphia Phillies are no strangers to big moves, and Dave Dombrowski has been making trades with the Minnesota Twins recently. Jhoan Duran and Harrison Bader both came over to Philadelphia in deadline deals with Minnesota

Now in the offseason, the Phillies could once again link up for a potential trade. This time, as Matt Gelb of The Athletic highlights, they could swing a deal for center fielder Byron Buxton.

Buxton would be a great fit. He's a right-handed hitting outfielder with great defense, both of which are priorities this offseason for the Phillies. However, the Phillies aren't likely to trade for Buxton thanks to a few key reasons.

Why the Phillies aren't likely to trade for Twins' Bryon Buxton

"In a weaker free-agent market, especially for right-handed hitters," Gelb writes, "the Phillies will have to think outside the box. It's why the emergence of two potential trade targets - Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte (a switch-hitter) and Minnesota center fielder Byron Muxton (a righty) - seemed notable."

As Gelb highlights, there is reason to have a strong interest in the Twins center fielder. However, despite clear reasons as to why the team should make the trade, there's a major holdup that likely stops any deal from being completed.

"But if the Phillies were to enter the picture," Gelb writes, "any reasonable package would have to begin with Andrew Painter plus several other prospects."

Trading for Buxton won't come cheap; that's no surprise, but the necessary inclusion of Painter, the team's top prospect and one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, might be too much for the Phillies to part with for almost any player.

Minnesota initially was seeking Painter in the Duran trade at the MLB trade deadline, but instead managed to trade Mick Abel and Eduardo Tait instead. It wasn't a cheap package by any means, but the cost of Buxton will be significantly higher than that of Duran.

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The Phillies have a strong contingent of MLB-ready talent they could trade, but the Twins are looking for prospects and younger players, not players like Alec Bohm, Nick Castellanos, or even Brandon Marsh.

Buxton is going to be 32 years old at the start of 2026, and he's under club control through 2028 on a reasonable $100 million contract. The two-time All-Star, Platinum Glove winner, is one of the game's best outfielders when healthy.

In 2025, Buxton had 4.9 bWAR in 126 games played with 97 runs scored, 127 hits, 21 doubles, seven triples, 35 home runs, and 83 RBIs. His.878 OPS was a very strong mark, and for the second time, he was an All-Star.

Between his talent and the years of control, Buxton would have been an incredible trade target for the Phillies. But, with a price tag starting with Painter, the Phillies aren't likely to make a trade for the talented center fielder.

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Staff Writer