Twins Rumors: Low-risk trade targets who are perfect for backing up Byron Buxton

Byron Buxton has been awesome this year, full stop.

The training wheels were taken off and Buck was allowed to play center field freely, and whatever happens, happens. The result is a .285 hitter with 9 home runs and elite defense and speed.

Durability will always be the question with Buxton, who has eclipsed 100 games just once in his career, and even that was back in 2017. And sitting out two straight games heading into the all star breaking after colliding with the wall is enough to raise an eyebrow, even though all signs point to a cautionary rest day. 

Because of this risk, the Twins need to go find a legitimate backup center fielder who can be an insurance policy for Buxton while spelling him with extra rest days down the stretch. And no, Manuel Margot is not that guy. 

Twins need to look at adding Kevin Kiermaier and Kevin Pillar

I got so excited when I saw “Kevin Kiermaier waived by the Blue Jays,” just to see him hit a home run for them a couple days later. What happened there? I have no idea, but clearly the Blue Jays seem to be looking to move on from the veteran outfielder and very well could be sellers at the deadline.

Kiermaier is the perfect backup for Buxton. An experienced center fielder who can still go get it out there, Kiermaier ranks fourth among center fielders with 8 outs above average and still has an 85th percentile sprint speed. The offense leaves a lot to be desired, hitting just .189 with a .540 OPS on the season.

However, a change of scenery could be good for him and the Twins have a potent offense that can withstand one dead spot in the lineup in exchange for amazing defense and protection for Byron Buxton. 

If Kiermaier doesn’t happen, the Twins could pivot to the other American League East Kevin once known for defensive prowess. Kevin Pillar is having a rejuvenated season for the Angels, hitting .268 with 7 home runs while splitting time between all three outfield spots. The catch with Pillar is that the defense doesn’t grade out like it used to with a -1 outs above average.

He’s still fast and would it be crazy to assume he could still be a solid defender? I don’t think so. The icing on the cake is that he has announced he will be retiring after the season, meaning his trade price will likely be reduced and the Angels will be looking to get whatever they can for the 35 year old.

Now, some Twins fans might be asking, “Isn’t this what we got Manuel Margot for?” Yes it is, but Margot has been less than impressive this season. The 29-year-old is hitting just .233 with 3 home runs this season. He has an OPS+ of 78, a -0.8 WAR, and is getting on base at a measly .296 clip. 

To make matters worse, his defense has fallen off a cliff. A once premiere defender, Margot has a whopping -5 outs above average this year while exhibiting mediocre speed and terrible arm strength. He cannot be playing center field anymore for a team looking to play in October.

Margot provides little value on either side of the ball  for the Twins, and they need to look to move off of him and acquire one of the Kevins. 

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