Buxton’s Latest Injury and service time considerations

[Post-Concussive Blues]

Buxton just injured his hand by swinging the bat on his minor league optional assignment. X-rays were negative, and MRI apparently showed “wrist inflammation” and not a dreaded hook of hamate injury.

 

He will be placed be on the minor league DL, and is not accruing major league service time. It was a good idea that the FO optioned him rather than just continuing his rehab assignment earlier this month.

 

Will he rehab and figure out his swing in time to get called back to The Show this year? I think he is in danger of delaying his free agency a whole year. Obviously, as a Twins fan, I would rather have him up with the club, being productive, but the implications of this injury occurring in the minors is interesting.

[Thrylos]

At this point Buxton does not deserve to replace Cave.   Cave won the starting CF job, and it would be a mistake for the Twins to demote him and cut his pay.

 

Cave hit .265/.349/.386 in Rochester.  If Buxton gets at that point, he might have an argument about being called up.  And depending on the time of the year, it might be Kepler and not Cave who goes down.

 

Regardless, in a lost season the Twins should probably elect another year of control for Buxton vs a promotion...

[drivlikejehu]

Grossman would be on the chopping block, not Cave.

[bighat]

 

At this point Buxton does not deserve to replace Cave.   Cave won the starting CF job, and it would be a mistake for the Twins to demote him and cut his pay.

 

Cave hit .265/.349/.386 in Rochester.  If Buxton gets at that point, he might have an argument about being called up.  And depending on the time of the year, it might be Kepler and not Cave who goes down.

 

Regardless, in a lost season the Twins should probably elect another year of control for Buxton vs a promotion...

 

I have to agree. At this point, we should be happy to have Cave as our CF and Buxton has been reborn as a prospect once again. What a setback for what once looked like a future perennial All-Star. He is now a backup and deserves to be where he is. I also wish he was up with the club and producing, but it is what it is.

[TheLeviathan]

Buxton's fragility continues to concern me.  Maybe even more than his soft contact/hitting issues.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Grossman would be on the chopping block, not Cave.

If Buxton were firing on all cylinders like last fall, I’d be ok with Cave on the bench. Cave has been their best hitter over the last month. Don’t bench him now.

 

Buxton needs minor league reps to get things right. Timing is not clear, but it wouldn’t shock me if Buck went to Appy Fall league instead of a September callup.

 

It’s all up to Buxton, but his development is crucial to the future of the team. Maybe he can develop a suit of armor too...

[Riverbrian]

I got his service time at 2.160

 

If he comes up for 12 days with the Twins this year he will be a free agent in 2022 at the age of 28. If we don't see him again this year... He will be a free agent in 2023 at the age of 29.

 

If he is a Free Agent at age 28... It is quite possible that he will become what we want him to be... about the time that his agent starts fielding phone calls from other teams. 

 

He will be in Arbtration next year as a Super-Two regardless but with an OPS of .383... it better not be very lucrative. 

 

We have already wasted maybe 2.070 of the 2.160 getting well below average offensive production mixed in with multiple DL stints while we have waited for him to develop into the Buxton we all want him to be. He owes us an extra year of good play in my mind.  

 

This is a no-brainer... I think it's perfectly fine to get another year of control out of Buxton in case he finally blooms.

 

If the Twins call Buxton back up this year... it could be one of the stupidest front office moves ever unless he never figures it out. In that case who cares... However, if he never figures it out, drafting him 2nd overall and failing to develop him will end up being one of the stupidest moves ever with all that talent. 

 

 

Keep him down on the farm, get him prepped for 2019 and remind him that he still has an option remaining if he has another year like this one. 

[jorgenswest]

Convincing argument.

 

Keep him in AAA. Send him to instructionals. Let’s see him next year.

 

A wonder...

 

Didn’t the Twins down a struggling Dozier without bringing him back when rosters expanded? At the time there was speculation that Dozier wasn’t in the plans. For Dozier the refresh was helpful.

[terrydactyls]

Grossman would be on the chopping block, not Cave.

Did we get a new front office? Your comment is based on logic, not past performance by our management.

[laloesch]

At what point does Buxton approach "BUST" status?  2020? 

[Monkeypaws]

 

I got his service time at 2.160...etc

 

thanks fir knowing this stuff. 

 

Buxton is still only 24. It took guys like Hunter, Koskie, Dozier longer than that  to get it all straightened out. Even Morneau didn't break out until 25.

[Riverbrian]

 

thanks fir knowing this stuff. 

 

Buxton is still only 24. It took guys like Hunter, Koskie, Dozier longer than that  to get it all straightened out. Even Morneau didn't break out until 25.

 

I still believe in him. The Talent is obvious but we've been burning a lot of control waiting for it. 

[the_brute_squad]

 

thanks fir knowing this stuff. 

 

Buxton is still only 24. It took guys like Hunter, Koskie, Dozier longer than that  to get it all straightened out. Even Morneau didn't break out until 25.

Gomez is another example. He didn't figure it out until after the Twins got rid of him. I remember hearing someone from the front office say it's not surprising because it takes more time for "speed guys" to figure it out.

[Riverbrian]

 

Gomez is another example. He didn't figure it out until after the Twins got rid of him. I remember hearing someone from the front office say it's not surprising because it takes more time for "speed guys" to figure it out.

 

And Hicks... We are good at it in CF. 

[S.]

 

Buxton is still only 24. It took guys like Hunter, Koskie, Dozier longer than that  to get it all straightened out. Even Morneau didn't break out until 25.

One of the issues with Buxton is that an absolute ton of his value is tied to his speed, both defensively and on the base paths. And at 24, he is only going to lose value in that regard. Not that I think he is going to be slow by 26 or 28 or 30, but he sure isn't going to get any faster. Guys like Morneau and Dozier and Koskie didn't have that issue because they had none of their value tied to their speed. So the longer it takes Buxton to figure things out offensively, the more value he loses on the bases and on defense. And the fact that he seems to be made out of glass isn't helping matters either. And his tendency to run into the walls at full tilt worries me a lot too, because his speed is his value until/unless he learns to produce at the plate with consistency.

[ChrisKnutson]

Yeah yeah, I get it, “Buxton’s a bust” and “Jake Cave is the future of the Minnesota Twins”, but what about Lamonte Wade? Anyone even relatively interested in how he’d fare against big league pitching? The man’s got the best batting eye in our system with 20 walks and only 16 strikeouts, not to mention 10 homeruns.

[Mr. Brooks]

I got his service time at 2.160

 

If he comes up for 12 days with the Twins this year he will be a free agent in 2022 at the age of 28. If we don't see him again this year... He will be a free agent in 2023 at the age of 29.

 

If he is a Free Agent at age 28... It is quite possible that he will become what we want him to be... about the time that his agent starts fielding phone calls from other teams.

 

He will be in Arbtration next year as a Super-Two regardless but with an OPS of .383... it better not be very lucrative.

 

We have already wasted maybe 2.070 of the 2.160 getting well below average offensive production mixed in with multiple DL stints while we have waited for him to develop into the Buxton we all want him to be. He owes us an extra year of good play in my mind.

 

This is a no-brainer... I think it's perfectly fine to get another year of control out of Buxton in case he finally blooms.

 

If the Twins call Buxton back up this year... it could be one of the stupidest front office moves ever unless he never figures it out. In that case who cares... However, if he never figures it out, drafting him 2nd overall and failing to develop him will end up being one of the stupidest moves ever with all that talent.

 

 

Keep him down on the farm, get him prepped for 2019 and remind him that he still has an option remaining if he has another year like this one.

I think this is his final option year.

[Danchat]

 

I think this is his final option year.

Roster Resource says he has one more option year after 2018.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Roster Resource says he has one more option year after 2018.

That is correct. He didn't use an option in 2015 because he was only on optional assignment for 10 days and it takes 20 to count as an option year. So 2016 and 2018 are his only option years used so far.

[nater79a]

 

That is correct. He didn't use an option in 2015 because he was only on optional assignment for 10 days and it takes 20 to count as an option year. So 2016 and 2018 are his only option years used so far.

 

Almost hard to believe that Buxton didn't burn an option last year with the ice cold start he had.  

But he was on the DL for awhile, right?  That's when Granite was called up?

[Thrylos]

 

Yeah yeah, I get it, “Buxton’s a bust” and “Jake Cave is the future of the Minnesota Twins”, but what about Lamonte Wade? Anyone even relatively interested in how he’d fare against big league pitching? The man’s got the best batting eye in our system with 20 walks and only 16 strikeouts, not to mention 10 homeruns.

 

Joe the goner might disagree about your assessment of batting eyes in the Twins' system

[ChrisKnutson]

Joe the goner might disagree about your assessment of batting eyes in the Twins' system

*Minor league system*