Byron Buxton will start 2016 .......where?

[stringer bell]

Prior to the Aaron Hicks trade, many Twins fans, including myself, figured that Byron Buxton was ticketed to the minor leagues to start 2016. Hicks had performed well enough in center, Eddie Rosario had staked out a starting corner spot and Oswaldo Arcia comes into 2016 out of options, leaving Buxton without an easy path to the starting lineup. Buxton is still a rookie (one AB short of qualifying last year) and is regarded as one of the top prospects in all of baseball.

 

Here are some factors that should go into the decision on where to start Buxton in 2016: Need--There isn't an incumbent center fielder for the Twins. Hicks was traded, Rosario seems better suited to a corner, last year's fourth OF Shane Robinson has signed with Cleveland. Buxton is clearly already a plus defender in center, so it could be the Twins will need him to claim center field from the get-go.

 

Service time--Because of his mid-season call-up and subsequent six week stay on the major league disabled list, Buxton has logged over half a season of service time. He won't be eligible for Super 2 arbitration two years from now, but the club would have to leave him in the minors for four months to gain an additional year of team control. For all intents and purposes, service time should be no factor in where Buxton is playing in 2016.

 

Development--Buxton may be better served by dominating Triple A. Each young player is different in this regard. It didn't appear to be necessary for Miguel Sano or Rosario, but it did seem to help Aaron Hicks. The club will have to determine what is best for their brightest prospect who will turn 22 in three weeks. Buxton seemed to have trouble with off-speed and breaking pitches and perhaps coming up with confidence after facing AAA hurlers may help him. The Twins have universally lauded his work ethic and dedication, so it will mostly depend on what they think will most benefit the crown jewel of their farm system.

 

To summarize, there is again a large hole in center field that Buxton will eventually fill. Service time should be no issue in putting him on the big league roster and he won't be a platoon or bench player. It will all come down to what the Twins think is the right move in Buxton's development. As the offseason wears on, I am becoming more and more convinced that the Twins will start 2016 with Byron Buxton as their everyday center fielder.

 

 

 

 

[diehardtwinsfan]

I honestly thought the minors would make the most sense for Buxton.  He wasn't ready for ML pitching, and I'm not sure how the offseason will suddenly get him there.  He needs at bats, and I think spending some time in AAA working against ex-major league pitchers will be beneficial.  I have to think the Twins will look for a CF on a 1 year make good deal to man the position in the spring/summer... possibly someone who can be flipped at the deadline if Buxton is ready. 

 

Now with the Hicks trade, I have to admit this surprised me a bit.  Not sure how the OF is going to look in the short term if it's manned by Sano and Arcia on a somewhat consistent basis.  I cannot think that will be a good thing for OF defense.  I'm not terribly worried long term, especially with Kepler and Walker sitting in the high minors as well, but I could see some OF regression in the short term if they don't go out and get a decent CF. 

[ashbury]

I don't see how Ryan will be able to entice anyone who is good to sign a one year deal with a likelihood of being flipped. And at this stage of the rebuild I'm not ready anymore for AAAA placeholders like Sugar Shane.

[Platoon]

A Plouffe trade for a replacement level OF'er? J/K........ I would just stick him out there, and let him play. He has always struggled with the bat at the beginning of any new level. But, for better or for worse, I ain't the GM. I still think he ends up in Rochester. As an aside, assuming Park is coming to sign, another shoe has to drop. A roster with Park, Sano, Plouffe, and Mauer on it just doesn't make sense!

[ashbury]

A roster with Park, Sano, Plouffe, and Mauer on it just doesn't make sense!

DH, RF, 3B, 1B? Easy peasy.

[Winston Smith]

I think he starts the season on the DL.

[Platoon]

DH, RF, 3B, 1B? Easy peasy.

Your math is excellent! Now do the math for # 260 lbs. hitting a fence or landing on a shoulder! :). Actually (hopefully) your sarcasm is noted!

[ashbury]

Your math is excellent! Now do the math for # 260 lbs. hitting a fence or landing on a shoulder! :). Actually (hopefully) your sarcasm is noted!

I'm only quoting Terry Ryan.

 

And I'm more concerned about # 260 lbs hitting a center fielder or landing on one.

[Thrylos]

 

The club will have to determine what is best for their brightest prospect

 

Nah.   They better determine what is the best for the Twins.  They should bring up the 25 best players.  Period.  They are competing.

 

The answer to where Buxton ends up will have to be answered at ST.  If he still cannot hit breaking stuff and swings like nuts, he better start at AAA.   CF is the position that Rosario played most his career, so he will be fine there.   They might have to find a corner OF on an one year deal as well, if one of Buxton/Kepler does not make it North after ST.  

[NoCryingInBaseball]

Nah.   They better determine what is the best for the Twins.  They should bring up the 25 best players.  Period.  They are competing.

 

The answer to where Buxton ends up will have to be answered at ST.  If he still cannot hit breaking stuff and swings like nuts, he better start at AAA.   CF is the position that Rosario played most his career, so he will be fine there.   They might have to find a corner OF on an one year deal as well, if one of Buxton/Kepler does not make it North after ST.

I agree that Spring Training should be the place to sort this out and Buxton may very well need more time in triple-A. Another candidate for CF competition was Danny Santana and I thought he was working on that position in winter league.

[jimbo92107]

Welcome back to CF, Danny Santana. Buxton does half a season in AAA, then returns triumphantly to the bigs with a much improved approach at the plate.

[Boom Boom]

If you're going to keep Buxton in AAA because you don't think he's ready, it doesn't make sense to roll with Santana in CF after his awful, miserable season. The only way that arrangement makes sense is if the reason to keep Buxton in the minors is service time.

 

In my opinion, without Hicks, you have to give the job to Buxton, ready or not. It won't kill him and it likely won't be worse than Santana out there.

[HitInAPinch]

What has Buxton done so far this off-season that would have improved his hitting skills?  I haven't heard of him playing winter ball.  If something has happened in the off-season, then it will be sorted out in Spring Training.  If not......... 

 

I have little doubt the Buxton will start 2016 in Rochester.  He needs the reps, badly. 

 

I don't know why the Twins would troll the wavier wires looking for a starting CF.  Danny Santana should get his chance again, in CF.  Rosario can back him up on off days. Or a veteran FA OF looking for a job.

 

In the end, whomever ends up in RF [sano?  Arcia? ]  they're not going to be great outfielders.  The Twins will need a lot of speed in CF.  If Buxton can hit +.250 and with better quality PA's, having him covering CF could be of value now.

[h2oface]

 

I don't know why the Twins would troll the wavier wires looking for a starting CF.  Danny Santana should get his chance again, in CF.  Rosario can back him up on off days. Or a veteran FA OF looking for a job.

 

In the end, whomever ends up in RF [sano?  Arcia? ]  they're not going to be great outfielders.  The Twins will need a lot of speed in CF.  If Buxton can hit +.250 and with better quality PA's, having him covering CF could be of value now.

 

Buxton looks destined for AAA to start from his ineptitude at the plate in the show.

 

Who is the real Danny Santana? The career minor league stat line, the amazing rookie season stat line, or the horrid Drew Butera type hitter of last year. Is Rosario destined for the sophomore slump? Will Buxton really hit in the show? Arcia? There could now be several reasons for the waiver wire, depending upon timing. 

 

A exciting possibility of a Hicks Buxton Rosario (Kepler) outfield of defensive prowess heading into the off season is now looking like a very iffy outfield with at least one Delmon Young impersonator in the field. Very disappointing. Murphy better be good and perform. If he doesn't, the Hicks for Murphy trade will make the Meyer for Span deal look good. Hard to believe that is even possible. Defense is so important with the pitchers assembled on this team. If you don't have strikeout pitchers, selling out the defense in the outfield is a rookie move by a GM, and this is the second go 'round for taking a supposed surplus and trading from supposed depth just when the team's prospects were becoming the players you spent years of investment and time preparing them for.

[SweetOne69]

Hopefully they learn from their mistakes with Gomez and Hicks and not rush Buxton before he is ready.

[h2oface]

 

Hopefully they learn from their mistakes with Gomez and Hicks and not rush Buxton before he is ready.

 I contend that they wouldn't have become without the failures that they overcame by getting ready in the show. If they are going to make it, they will make it no matter what the path. I think Gomez was just fine, but it was the management that tried to make him something other than what he was meant to be that stifled his progress, and it even took a couple years after the contamination to purge it. 

[h2oface]

 

I don't see how Ryan will be able to entice anyone who is good to sign a one year deal with a likelihood of being flipped. And at this stage of the rebuild I'm not ready anymore for AAAA placeholders like Sugar Shane.

 

I think it could be quite attractive, to be flipped. It gives one the opportunity to shine with regular playing time, and then the possibility of playing in the playoffs with an even better team via a trade deadline trade. Anyone that signs a one year deal is probably looking at that possibility with the opportunity, and should relish it. If I was in their shoes, I would.

[Thrylos]

 

 

 

 

Who is the real Danny Santana? The career minor league stat line, the amazing rookie season stat line, or the horrid Drew Butera type hitter of last year.

 

Danny Santana career MiLB slash line: .276 /.319/.399

Danny Santana career MLB slash line: .278/.309/.401

 

That's who he is.

[Rosterman]

It's a tough call. We may be able to find a one-year rental. But the bigger question is the possible regression of Eddie Rosario or the total flop of Oswaldo Arcia. Yes, you have potential fill-in names like Sano or Plouffe (I would keep Plouffe around into spring training just in case and start him in the outfield if Sano IS your third baseman of the future0. We also have Danny Santana in the mix, since it looks like the Twins will at least offer arbitration to Nunez as the backup infielder. Once again, there are opportunities available if a player wants to take them and advance (don't rule out Kepler wanting to play in the majors sooner rather than later).

[spinowner]

 

 The club will have to determine what is best for their brightest prospect 

 

 

Nah.   They better determine what is the best for the Twins.  They should bring up the 25 best players.  Period.  They are competing.

 

The answer to where Buxton ends up will have to be answered at ST.  

Agree with sb, disagree with the first part of Thrylos, agree with the second part of Thrylos.

Buxton is a future cornerstone of this franchise. What he needs for his development comes first. What the team needs in 2016 should of course be considered but Buxton's development trumps that. This will probably be the biggest story in ST, followed by seeing how Park looks against major league pitching.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

I think it could be quite attractive, to be flipped. It gives one the opportunity to shine with regular playing time, and then the possibility of playing in the playoffs with an even better team via a trade deadline trade. Anyone that signs a one year deal is probably looking at that possibility with the opportunity, and should relish it. If I was in their shoes, I would.

 

This is my thought too.  Find a guy on a 1 year make good deal to play CF.  Someone who has some decent promise but had a bad year last season for whatever reason.  If he's doing really well come July and the Twins are in it, Buxton sits in AAA unless he's absolutely raking.  If he's not, he's going to switch to a part time job once Buxton is ready, and if he's doing reasonably well, he probably gets traded when Buxton is ready. 

[kellyvance]

 

This is my thought too.  Find a guy on a 1 year make good deal to play CF.  Someone who has some decent promise but had a bad year last season for whatever reason.  If he's doing really well come July and the Twins are in it, Buxton sits in AAA unless he's absolutely raking.  If he's not, he's going to switch to a part time job once Buxton is ready, and if he's doing reasonably well, he probably gets traded when Buxton is ready. 

 

It's not like there are lots of guys like that.

[mikelink45]

Start him, play him, have some patience.  By midseason we will have the player we all desire

[gopherman23]

Buxton's last 36 PA's of the season: .273/.314/.515 (.829)

 

He didn't even get consistent playing time down the stretch the last couple weeks either. Unless he has a horrible ST, he needs to be the starting CF'er opening day.

[kab21]

The Twins really need an excellent 4th OF'er that can play CF if Buxton needs to be in AAA for 2-3 months. 

 

 

[stringer bell]

I don't think it is easy to find a guy who is a suitable center fielder, who can be flipped at the deadline and who will sign a one-year deal. I don't think any player signs a contract wanting to be shipped somewhere else at the team's disgression at midseason. They aren't pieces of meat.

 

I've said before that the Twins are intriguing because they have so many moving pieces. There is great potential for success with the many individuals, but also risk of regression or failure. My thought is that there are a many solutions and a lot of them will come through. The highest ceilinged guys are Buxton and Sano and I think the Twins are counting on them, Sano right now and Buxton very soon.

[Thrylos]

You don't need a centerfielder.  Rosario is one.   There are a few of Ryan's darlings in the FA marker like De Aza and Davis who would fit the bill.  Austin Jackson would as well.

 

 

Not my money, but this team still desperately needs someone who can hit RHPs.  If I were Ryan, I'd go after Hayward full force.  That move would solve a lot of problems...

[TheLeviathan]

 

The Twins really need an excellent 4th OF'er that can play CF if Buxton needs to be in AAA for 2-3 months. 

 

Yup, we need to make a backup CF a priority.

[Andrew]

I think you give Danny Santana the chance to redeem himself. I want us to give him one more shot. Give him that time (1-2 months+ before Buxton is ready) to show us that last season was just a sophomore slump and that there is more to Danny Santana than just a .500 OPS, defensively challenged SS.

[shs_59]

60% AAA Rochester

 

30% AA Chattanooga

 

10% MLB Target Field, Twins