Padres’ perfect trade for Twins’ Byron Buxton

It has been quite a start to the season for Byron Buxton, which is why the San Diego Padres are interested. However, they aren’t the only team kicking the tires on the veteran slugger. But here is the Padres’ perfect trade offer for Buxton.

One thing that needs to happen is for Buxton to be willing to go to a new team, according to ESPN.

“All of this is moot, and Buxton will drop off the list, if he indicates he will use his no-trade protection to reject any potential deal,” Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan wrote. “Buxton’s loyalty to Minnesota is admirable, but at 32, he also wants to win. And the Twins aren’t doing that this year. Barring a spending spree over the winter, that might not happen next year, either.”

So the door should be open for the Padres.

Why do the Padres need OF Byron Buxton?

It has been an offensive struggle for the Padres in 2026. They rank dead last in batting average with a team mark of .218. And they’re a full 10 points behind the next-worst team, the Reds.

Buxton wouldn’t offer a great deal of help in batting average as he is a career .250 hitter. However, he’s hitting .275 and would definitely benefit the Padres in another category. Buxton’s 23 homers ranked No. 3 in all of baseball, heading into Thursday’s games.

As a team, the Padres rank No. 21 with 74 home runs. Add a bat like Buxton, and they quickly move up the list.

Plus, Buxton still offers a profile that any team would love to have.

“The report on Buxton is still pretty similar to when he went No. 2 in the 2012 draft: elite runner and defender with loud bat speed,” McDaniel and Passan wrote. “The difference is the bat speed in high school turned into regular in-game power by his mid-20s. And now, in his early 30s, he is hitting some of the high-end projections for 30-plus homer potential more than a decade later. Basically, everything you dreamed of with Buxton has come true, with injuries/durability being the only negative.”

Yes, injuries are a major factor for the Padres. Are they willing to give up premium farm-system talent for a player who hasn’t been able to stay on the field? In Buxton’s 12-year major-league career, he played more than 126 games only once. That came way back in 2017. Since then, his totals are 28, 87, 39, 61, 92, 85, 102, and 126.

However, it should be noted that he is on pace to appear in over 120 games this season. But then again, that key injury hasn’t cropped up yet.

What would the Padres’ perfect trade offer be?

This is where things get tricky. The Twins will demand a haul. But the Padres don’t have a surplus in their farm system anymore.

One thing they do have is a pair of highly regarded catchers. They should put the lesser of those in this deal because of Buxton’s age. And that is Ty Harvey. He’s only 19 years old, but ranks No. 6 in the Padres’ prospect list, according to MLB.com.

“Harvey has strength and power in his 6-foot-2 frame and continually showed that off in high school, summer showcases, and the Draft Combine,” MLB.com wrote. “Scouts were split on whether he would have the hit tool to get to that pop before the Draft.

“Harvey’s good hands and receiving skills will get him plenty of looks behind the plate. And his above-average arm strength fortifies the case, especially if he can clean up some of his mechanics. The Padres took fellow prep backstop Truitt Madonna in the Draft last year and will have to balance the workloads for both, but Harvey has more upside with his slugging advantage.”

Harvey is a good starting point for trade talks. But the Padres will have to kick in a serious pitching talent to make the Twins focus on a deal. Lefty Kash Mayfield is that guy. He’s tall and talented, according to MLB.com.

“The 6-foot-4 southpaw’s fastball velocity rose to where he was sitting 92-95 mph and touching 97 in his final amateur spring, but that fell closer to 90-92 (touching 95) in the California League,” MLB.com wrote. “The fastball has some ride and run, although it can bleed into the dead zone. And if he gains some heat back in his age-21 season, that’ll be a boost to his profile. Mayfield’s low-80s changeup is the show stopper anyway — a true plus pitch he sells with arm speed, only to dive down and armside late. Mayfield’s upper-70s slider has slurvy characteristics, and he was more successful against righties as a result.

“Mayfield has repeatable and loose delivery, and while he walked 10.9 percent of batters in the California League, he should have enough control to start as he matures.”

There’s a lot to like from a projectable major-league profile.

The Twins will likely ask for another young prospect to complete the deal. The Padres need to be careful here. Kavares Tears might be the solution. He’s a 23-year-old outfielder. There’s plenty to like about his power, but he has struggled mightily with changeups in his short minor-league career. That could dampen his impact at the big-league level.

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