The Boston Red Sox brought a remarkable 12-game winning streak into Sunday afternoon’s series finale with the Rays, and while there is certainly a new and well-earned optimism around the teams these days–after an utterly miserable first month-plus–there’s also the sense that Boston still needs another element if it wants to capitalize on the current momentum and establish itself as a true contender in the second half. The element might well be Byron Buxton.
Yes, Buxton is a longshot target, a Twins star who has been in Minnesota his entire 12-year career and who has a no-trade clause in his back pocket. But for all his time with the Twins, Buxton has played precious few postseason games, just four in total. He is 32 now, and has found his power stroke in the past two seasons, knocking 35 homers in 2025 and ranking eighth in MLB with 25 homers this season.
Maybe it’s time he would waive his no-trade clause, especially if it was to join a team that had renewed playoff hopes and a desperate need for a big bat in the middle of the lineup.
Byron Buxton ‘Should Be Plan A’
That would be the Red Sox, who are last in the American League with 93 homers and 12th with a .394 slugging percentage. According to longtime WEEI insider Rob Bradford, the team should make a deal for Buxton their No. 1 priority at the trade deadline.
Speaking on “The Fenway Rundown,” podcast with Chris Cotillo of MassLive, Bradford assailed the Red Sox’s recent trade deadline acquisitions and said, “Byron Buxton, to me … that should be their Plan A. Byron Buxton should be their Plan A.”
Presumably, the Red Sox would need to shuffle the outfield, with Ceddanne Rafaela either moving to left or heading out in the trade, and/or Jarren Duran moving on, too.
Red Sox Should Make an Effort at Star Bat
Asked why the Red Sox should prioritize Buxton, Bradford had a host of reasons.
“Because, you know, you turn over some parts in the outfield that maybe don’t fit as well,” he said. “He fits perfectly, he is obviously an awesome player, got a couple of years left on his contract, and he is also, by the way, an adult in the room, a veteran in the rom, right? He’s the type of guy that you want around. All of it, it just fits. And I know the whole no-trade and the iconic Twins player and everything else. All I am saying is, make an effort at it.
“To me, of all the guys we are talking about who might be available, that would send shockwaves in terms of, the Red Sox are actually going for a World Series, that guy’s at the top of the list.”
Byron Buxton Would Not Come Cheap for Red Sox
Buxton would not be cheap for the Red Sox. He is in the midst of a seven-year, $100 million contract that runs through 2028 and looks like a bargain considering his power surge. He was the Twins No. 2 overall pick back in 2012, and has known no other organization as a professional.
Getting him to give up his no-trade clause to the Red Sox won’t be easy, nor will coughing up the raft of players and prospects that would be required. But Boston’s season has taken a turn–and Buxton is the kind of player that could elevate this team’s ceiling down the stretch.
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