Are the Philadelphia Phillies in the market for an outfielder? It doesn’t seem so, but with recent developments across Major League Baseball, certain teams might be more inclined to deal away their star players than they were a few weeks ago.
One of those teams is the Minnesota Twins, who recently got the tough news that Pablo Lopez will miss the entirety of the 2026 season due to Tommy John Surgery. Joe Ryan is also dealing with some back issues, which will leave him sidelined until Opening Day, most likely. Because of these developments, Bleacher Report floated a “win-win” trade package between the Phillies and Twins, which features the Phillies landing two-time All-Star Byron Buxton.
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Bleacher Report Floats Byron Buxton to Phillies Idea
The Phillies were reportedly linked to star outfielder Byron Buxton last July, when there were rumors that he might land elsewhere during the Twins’ massive firesale. However, he ended up staying put, but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be a good idea to trade away Buxton and maximize his value.
Byron Buxton has played in 100+ games in back-to-back seasons (2024-2025) for the first time in his career. In 2025, he hit 35 home runs and earned some AL MVP votes (11th place finish)
Here is the trade package that Bleacher Report floats that could potentially land Buxton in the Phillies outfield:
“Trade Proposal: Philadelphia Phillies get CF Byron Buxton; Minnesota Twins get OF Justin Crawford, 2B Aaron Escobar, RHP Gage Wood”
The Phillies are very much in a “win now” mindset with stars like Bryce Harper aging, and the future uncertain for Zack Wheeler. Does this mean that Dave Dombrowski would give up three pretty good prospects for one Byron Buxton, who has dealt with several injuries in his career and carries a seven-year, $100 million contract? Justin Crawford is expected to get everyday playing time in the Phillies outfield this year, so Philadelphia should get a good sense of what he’s able to do given real MLB at-bats.
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Would the Phillies Make this Deal?
GettyByron Buxton is coming off a career-best season in 2025.
The only strong case you could make for the Phillies making this deal is the fact that power has been hard to come by for Phillies outfielders, and Byron Buxton certainly brings pop to any lineup.
He has 168 home runs, 178 doubles, and a lifetime .487 slugging percentage over his 11-year MLB career, but Buxton is now 32, and those prospects named (Justin Crawford, Gage Wood, and Aaron Escobar) could be centerpieces for the Phillies for years to come.
Buxton’s stance on his no-trade clause in his contract seemed to ease up a bit at the end of last year, but still, the Twins would be looking for a massive haul for their best hitter.
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