MLB insider Anthony Castrovince wrote an article titled "7 ridiculous trades we’d like to see." He prefaced the article by saying these trades are unlikely and acknowledged they will anger fans. Twins fans definitely aren't a fan of one of the deals he proposed involving star center fielder Byron Buxton.
MLB's Anthony Castrovince proposed unlikely Twins trade involving Byron Buxton, Astros, Reds
3) The Bux moves here
Reds get: OF Byron Buxton
Astros get: RHP Brady Singer
Twins get: SS Tyson Lewis (Reds’ No. 4 prospect), OF Mason Neville (Reds’ No. 13 prospect), C Walker Janek (Astros’ No. 4 prospect), RHP Cole Hertzler (Astros’ No. 29 prospect)
Sure, the Twins receive a haul of prospects in this deal. But prospects are lottery tickets. Buxton just had an MVP-caliber season while being paid just over $16 million, while some players are making over $30 million per year.
At first glance, it seems that the Twins would receive a good return in this deal. It's a good haul, but Buxton should garner an even better return for Minnesota. Lewis is the only one of the prospects in this trade who ranks among MLB Pipeline's top-100 prospects. If Minnesota trades Buxton, it should receive someone else who is viewed as one of the best prospects in the game.
For the Reds, this trade would make perfect sense. They need help on offense and could use another outfielder. They have plenty of starting pitching depth, so they could afford to lose Singer. But to lose Singer, Lewis, and Neville may be too much for them to approve a trade, even if they should. Meanwhile, the Astros would lose two prospects to replace Framber Valdez, who is currently a free agent.
If the Twins are serious about competing, trading Buxton would be a huge mistake. Buxton said he wants to stay in Minnesota at the All-Star break, but recent reports suggest he could be willing to waive his no-trade clause if the Twins' roster teardown continues. Essentially, if president of baseball operations Derek Falvey trades Pablo López and/or Joe Ryan, Buxton may ask to be moved to a team that is serious about winning in the near term. Buxton is already 31 years old, so he has limited time to win a World Series before he retires.
In all honesty, Twins fans should be outraged if this trade comes to fruition. Luckily, it won't.