Scorching Byron Buxton stretch rubs more salt in Braves' tough trade reality

In terms of bats, there are few players who Atlanta Braves fans have been clamoring for more or for as long as a trade target than Byron Buxton. Not only does Buxton have local ties to the state of Georgia, but he also happens to be one of the most talented players in baseball in the middle of a tremendous season who could fill a very clearly defined need for Atlanta. However, it doesn't seem like Buxton is likely to be available at all, and that could end up being a real shame.

There had previously been a LOT of trade speculation around Buxton, and with good reason. The Twins are still technically in the running in the AL, but that doesn't mean much this year, and they have an ownership group who has a well-established reputation of trying to avoid unnecessary spending. If Minnesota falls out of the AL Central and AL Wild Card race any further, you can bet that they will be open for business.

The Twins' willingness or lack thereof to move Buxton isn't the actual problem, however. Buxton has shown little willingness in the past to waive his no-trade clause in the past and recently went on the record to say that he wasn't requesting a trade and expects to be a Twin unless the team comes to him with a specific proposal. That doesn't close the door on a trade per se, but it definitely doesn't help the odds of one happening. That is a shame because right now, Buxton is playing out of his mind, and any team, including the Braves, would love to have that level of production.

Byron Buxton is doing his absolute best to tempt the Braves as a trade target right now...except for making himself available

Ignoring the logistics and risks of a potential Buxton trade for the moment, boy, does he look like he is poised to do something special this season. In 68 games this season, Buxton owns a .275/.333/.596 line with a league-leading 25 homers. The only season where he has posted a better OPS than his current .930 mark was 2021 with a 1.005 OPS, but he only played 61 games total that season.

That brings us to the actual problem for any buyer that is trying to convince Buxton to be traded and to come to reasonable terms with the Twins that they would actually accept. With what can only be described as an extensive history of injuries that have forced Buxton to average just 78 games played per season since 2018, and that includes 2025's 126 games bringing the average up considerably. How much is any team willing to pay to get Buxton, as good as he can be, when there is no guarantee that he will even be available on any given day?

So yes, the current version of Buxton has been insane and would give the Braves a fantastic solution to their outfield problem. Atlanta could put Buxton in left in an attempt to keep him healthy if they so chose, and then just let his right-handed bat feast near the top of their lineup. For a team that needs better offensive options against lefties, Buxton would be a godsend.

Unfortunately, there is just no guarantee Buxton would be that guy for long enough to justify the cost, nor do we actually know if he would agree to a trade. For now, Braves fans just have to watch from afar and daydream a little bit, even if the odds of a deal are stacked against Atlanta right now.

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