Twins Take Two Huge Names Off Trade Block

The Minnesota Twins have changed course, and their two biggest trade chips are no longer going anywhere.

Per Ken Rosenthal on Foul Territory, Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan are likely to stay put, as the Twins have pivoted from potential sellers to buyers thanks to a surprising climb into the American League playoff race.

"I don't expect them to trade Joe Ryan. I don't expect them to trade Byron Buxton," Rosenthal said. "Their new control person, Tom Pohlad, has been pretty vocal about wanting to make this team good again after what they did last year at the deadline when they were the biggest sellers by far."

A Complete Reversal

The shift is massive given where the Twins were just weeks ago.

Buxton and Ryan had been prominently included on nearly every trade-candidate list for months, with the organization coming off a fire sale at the 2025 deadline that saw them move 10 core players.

But Minnesota has since worked its way back into the thick of the AL Wild Card race, where nearly every team is bunched together, changing the calculus entirely.

GM Jeremy Zoll had already firmly shut down Buxton talk earlier this summer.

"We have no plans to trade Byron," Zoll said. "It's not something we're exploring. It's not something we plan to explore. He wants to be here. We want him to be here."

Buxton also holds a full no-trade clause and has repeatedly stated his desire to remain in Minnesota, making any deal a non-starter regardless.

Ryan Stays Too

The bigger development is Ryan coming off the block.

The right-hander has been one of the most coveted arms potentially available, with ESPN giving him a 35 percent chance of being dealt and listing a long line of contenders as fits.

But MLB insider Jim Bowden confirmed the same read as Rosenthal.

"No, absolutely not," Bowden said of the possibility of Buxton or Ryan being traded. "I'm being told neither one is going. In fact, the Twins are buyers right now, they feel like they're in the race as well. They feel they have a chance for the Wild Card."

Ryan carries an affordable $6 million arbitration contract with a mutual option for 2027, giving Minnesota an extra year of control and no urgency to move him.

What They Need Instead

Rather than sell, the Twins are now looking to add.

Both Rosenthal and Bowden noted that Minnesota's clear priority is bullpen help, an area that has been a weakness all season.

The idea of a team hovering around .500 buying at the deadline may seem unusual, but in a wide-open American League where a Wild Card spot is very much in reach, it makes sense for a Twins club that ownership wants to see compete.

Catcher Ryan Jeffers remains the one Minnesota name still likely to draw a lot of trade interest, but the franchise cornerstones are staying put.