Minnesota Twins: 3 Byron Buxton Deals That Might Not Be So Bad
The Minnesota Twins send Byron Buxton to the New York Mets
Minnesota Twins Trade: CF Byron Buxton
New York Mets Trade: RHP Tylor Megill, RHP Sean Reid-Foley, and OF Khalil Lee
The New York Mets had high hopes going into 2021 before ending up a disappointing 77-85. However, Mets owner Steve Cohen has big pockets and isn’t afraid to make big moves. If the season started today, the club would have Jeff McNeil, Brandon Nimmo, and Dominic Smith in the outfield.
Both McNeil and Smith couldn’t even muster a .364 SLG last season, while Nimmo, who’s slotted in at center, is a better fit in a corner spot. So why not make a run at Buxton? With their willingness to win, I could see them giving up an enticing package in return.
The 26-year old Tylor Megill opened up some eyes last year after making 18 starts and pitching to a 4.52 ERA. It looks unremarkable at first glance, but he struck out 26.1% of the batters he faced and managed a 3.84 xERA, implying brighter days are ahead.
He did this after striking out 59 and walking only 12 with a 3.35 ERA split between Double and Triple-A. He would slot in nicely to a rotation that needs a lot of help, and he won’t a free agent until after the 2027 season.
Sean Reid-Foley is a former Blue Jays top prospect who has a big arm and could potentially contribute to the bullpen for the foreseeable future. He put up a 5.23 ERA last season but had an 11.32 K/9 and 3.85 FIP in 20.2 IP. He walks too many- 3.92 BB/9 in 2021- but you can live with that given his big arm.
Khalil Lee ranks eighth on the Mets prospect list. He didn’t show much in his brief 11 games last year but did slash .274/.451/.500 with 14 HRs in 102 games at Triple-A. As well, he’s quick on the bases, tallying 53 stolen bases in 2019 at Double-A. Scouts view him as a plus defender with the ability to play all three spots and could be part of a dangerous outfield with Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach one day.