The New York Mets have been wheeling and dealing for the last two years, as they are attempting to build a roster filled with superstars that can compete for a World Series this season. The Minnesota Twins, meanwhile, were the biggest sellers at last year's trade deadline. They moved almost everybody of note except for Byron Buxton.
If the Mets want to continue adding, and the Twins want to continue selling, then the two should get together for a trade involving Buxton. So, what would a Buxton-to-New York deal look like?
Mets' trade proposal for Byron Buxton
Mets receive: Byron Buxton
Twins receive: A.J Ewing, Jacob Reimer, Nick Morabito, Dylan Ross
Buxton was the second overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft. He quickly became the top prospect in baseball because of his five-tool skill set. Buxton has range and arm strength in center field, and he can hit for both power and contact. He was even viewed as a base-running extraordinaire coming out of the minor leagues.
When Buxton has been healthy, this has all been on display, as the center fielder has played like one of the best players in baseball at times during his career. Unfortunately, that has been few and far between, as injuries have plagued Buxton throughout his time in the majors. Since debuting in 2015, Buxton has only twice surpassed the 500 plate appearances threshold. He won a Gold Glove the first time he was healthy for an entire season, and he was a Silver Slugger winner the next time, which happened to come in 2025.
In what was a career year, Buxton batted .264 with 35 home runs and 24 stolen bases. Despite being a potentially prized trade deadline piece, Buxton remained with the Twins. It seems unlikely that he will go anywhere this season, too, as Buxton has a no-trade clause which he seems unwilling to waive.
If the Twins' season starts to look bleak, and the Mets' superstar lineup starts to display its potential, perhaps Buxton will have a change of heart. In this potential deal with the Mets, the Twins receive A.J Ewing, Jacob Reimer, Nick Morabito, and Dylan Ross, all of whom are top 30 prospects in the Mets system. Ewing and Reimer even rank fourth and fifth, respectively, according to prospects1500.com.
Trading a player who was supposed to turn the franchise around wouldn't be easy for the Twins, but this is a haul the team would have to consider. The influx of outfield talent to replace Buxton, in particular, would have to intrigue the team.
Byron Buxton could be the missing piece for the Mets
Last year, the Mets gave Juan Soto the biggest contract in sports history. The team continued to revamp the outfield when they traded for Luis Robert Jr. this offseason. While Robert has had his fair share of struggles, his peak ability is something special, and it is possible he gets there again now that he is away from the doom that is the Chicago White Sox. The team even added Bo Bichette in free agency. One of the league's best contact hitters, Bichette will be moving over to the hot corner this year after leaving a team in which he helped lead to the World Series.
Devin Williams, Jorge Polanco, and Marcus Semien were other big offseason gets in New York. However, the Mets also lost some of the power in their lineup, as Pete Alonso left for the Baltimore Orioles. Buxton would help ease the pain of Alonso's loss, especially if the 2025 version of the outfielder is a sign of things to come.
While both Buxton and Robert have had up-and-down careers, Buxton has always been one of the best center fielders in baseball when healthy, whereas Robert's on-field production is typically streaky. The two could even start together and form an impressive outfield defense, even despite Soto having shortcomings in the field.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are building a dynasty, and the Mets might be the only team that can stop them. If the Dodgers are going to continue investing in superstars, then so should the Mets, and Buxton would be a picture-perfect fit.
