Minnesota Twins: 3 Byron Buxton Deals That Might Not Be So Bad

The Minnesota Twins move Buxton to a Contender

Minnesota Twins Trade: CF Byron Buxton

San Diego Padres Trade: RHP Chris Paddack, RHP Reiss Knehr, and OF Jorge Ona

Like the Mets, the Padres came into the season looking like a top team in baseball before finishing 79-83. Part of the problem was their offense, which posted a .722 OPS overall. They could definitely look for a replacement for one of their disappointing veterans, like Eric Hosmer or Wil Myers. And this return, although risky, has a lot of upside.

Since his strong 2019 rookie season when he put up a 3.33 ERA, the 25-year old Chris Paddack has hardly looked the same. Over his last two seasons, he’s managed a 4.95 ERA and just an 8.44 K/9 with a lofty 1.56 HR/9. However, he has good stuff and limits the walks (career 1.90 BB/9), so he may just need a change of scenery, pardon the cliché.

With Mike Clevinger returning from Tommy John and the Padres’ desire to acquire another starter, the Friars can probably afford to move on from the one-time top prospect. And if he can find what he had just three seasons ago, he would quickly become the ace of the staff, something we badly need.

Reiss Knehr is a young right-hander who pitched a bit at the big league level last season. His performance left a lot to be desired after posting a 4.97 ERA and 6.21 BB/9, but he’s the Padres’ ninth-best prospect and still has time to develop at just 25-years old.

The addition of Jorge Ona gives the Twins another outfield or designated hitter option. He profiles as a power bat who slugged .539 in his last full minor league season at Double-A. He did make his major league debut in 2020, batting 15 times and slashing .250/.400/.583 with a home run. He’s only 24 and could be the future at DH if he can hit consistently.