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

Way back in 2012, the Minnesota Twins took high school outfielder Byron Buxton second overall in the MLB Amateur Draft. He was immediately included on MLB.com’s top-100 prospect rankings and was even named baseball’s number one prospect in 2014 and 2015.

The tools have always been there, but it took him a while to put it all together. It wasn’t until 2019 that he produced his first above-average offensive season by wRC+. He kept that momentum going and had another good year at the plate in the shortened COVID season before really hitting his stride this past campaign, posting a 1.005 OPS and 4.2 WAR in just 61 games.

His big problem, though, has always been his ability to stay on the field. Over the last three seasons, he’s only appeared in 187 out of the team’s 384 total games, less than 50%. And since 2016, his first full season on the major league roster, Buxton’s only played in at least 93 games once, back in ‘17.

Byron Buxton is the Minnesota Twins’ franchise player but what might a trade package look like?

However, even with his injury troubles, Buxton has become the face of the franchise and the best all-around player. So while his name has come up in trade discussions recently, it makes sense why most fans have become disgruntled with the idea of the 27-year old in another uniform.

With Buxton in the last year of his contract and contract extensions stalling, it’s only logical to assume the Minnesota Twins will keep exploring a trade before losing him on the open market.

Despite how most of the fan base feels, I don’t think a Byron Buxton trade is the worst thing if an extension can’t be worked out. Obviously, it depends on what kind of haul we would get back, and I want to see the club go for it next season, but there are some things to think about.

If the right offer is on the table, not only would we avoid losing Buxton for no more than a draft pick, we could also land MLB-ready talent to help in a playoff pursuit. With the money we save on not extending our star center fielder, we could spend on other areas of need.

Several teams could use a player like Buxton. The Mets, Phillies, Padres, Braves, Brewers, and Astros all have room for improvement in the outfield, just to name a handful. Not every team would be willing or has enough resources for me to discuss a potential trade, so let’s go over some theoretical deals with clubs I think could make it happen that I wouldn’t hate seeing.

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.

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.