For years, there has been a segment of the Atlanta Braves' fanbase that has been clamoring for the team to go out and acquire Byron Buxton, and that impulse is understandable, frankly. Not only is Buxton from Georgia, which means a lot to some fans, but he is up there with any player in baseball when it comes to raw talent and ability. When he is on the field, the guy is a difference-maker in almost every aspect of the game.
Until now, this campaign has been unsuccessful. Some years, Buxton was hurt (more on that in a second), or the Braves didn't have the money or outfield need. In others, Buxton's desire was to stay in Minnesota, which made the no-trade clause in his contract problematic, and/or the Twins didn't want to move him. As badly as some wanted Buxton to be a Brave, the timing never seemed to line up.
In terms of Buxton's availability, something has changed. Buxton seems to be much more open to being moved at this stage of his career, and the Twins apparently have no desire to have real salaries on their books. However, that does not mean that Atlanta should finally swing a trade for him.
Byron Buxton may actually be available now, but that doesn't mean the Braves should strike a trade
The case for trading for Buxton is pretty straightforward. Not only is Buxton an impact player on both sides of the ball that can win games singlehandedly, but he is also a right-handed bat that has punished left-handed pitching during his career. For a team that currently has Austin Riley struggling mightily and Ronald Acuña Jr. injured and not quite himself, that sounds a lot better than the Island of Misfit Toys that the Braves are playing in left field right now without a real answer to southpaws. Buxton would also come with two extra years of team control at a very reasonable $15-ish million a season.
However, there are problems here with the obvious one being injuries. Given the Braves' luck with injuries the last few years, the idea that they should pay up to acquire the notoriously injury-prone Buxton is a bit dubious. Yes, he is great when he is on the field. However, he has played more than 100 games in a season exactly twice in the last nine seasons. It was encouraging to see him play in 126 games in 2025, but it is hard to hang one's hopes on a guy who has averaged around 76 games a year since the 2018 season.
The other issue is a bit weirder and far more minor. Yes, the Braves need help against left-handed pitching, but it is actually a little unclear as to whether or not he is still able to provide as much help as they need. The good news is that Buxton does have a 131 wRC+ with a .292 batting average against lefties, but his offensive numbers (especially in the power department) are much better against righties. Perhaps this is just a function of a small sample, and it isn't like it is bad to be good against both lefties and righties, but it is at least something to keep an eye on.
Ultimately, the biggest issue is price. As badly as Minnesota was to trim their payroll, there is zero chance that they will accept anything less than a haul for Buxton. They are right to ask for that, given Buxton's upside, but do fans really want Atlanta to ship out multiple top prospects for a talented guy who is made of glass? If we are honest with ourselves, the answer is probably no.
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