Byron Buxton is Just a Right-Handed Max Kepler Right Now

[gman]

If he has no more baseball career left after this year, he is not giving up this contract. Would you? Would anybody? He may have to go on the 4200 day injured list. Someday, after the Kansas City Royals have past us by, and you look into the bottom of your empty beer glass, you can say"Do you remember Buxton?"

[ashbury]

Max Kepler to Byron Buxton: "Ha ha! This article says you're the new me."

[Eris]

Nice write up, Matthew. 
How much of Buxton’s current batting issues are related to his knee. If his knee is so bad that the is unable/ not advised to play CF, why don’t the Twins put him on the IL and keep him there until he is well enough to play CF, because the current situation is not beneficial to Buxton or the Team. 

[Doctor Evil]

The DH spot in a lineup is for some teams a spot for an above average hitting specialist. Unfortunately for us, it seems to be a spot to get Buck in as many games as possible. So, I guess how the team does matters less than the number of games he plays in?? I don't get it. 

[HokieRif]

3 hours ago, Fritzderkat said:

The comparison with Mickey Mantle does Buxton no favors.

When it comes to durability those two names have no business being in the same sentence together.  It took a terminal disease for which there is no cure to force Mantle out of the lineup.  Whereas Buck, if he sneezes wrong, is on the DL for 15 days.

[PDX Twin]

9 hours ago, Johnny Ringo said:

The only way Buxton is tradable for literally anything ( a middling A prospect, a GroupOn coupon) is for the Twins to eat $95  million of his contract. 

I'd suggest "trading" him to St. Paul, but he would be blocking prospects.

[DocBauer]

Tony Oliva was a tremendous player who had really bad knees and had his career tragically cut short as a result. IIRC, he finished as a DH, even though he wasn't the same player. And yet, because of what he was and did, even with a shortened career, he is revered. And yet, it seems some are already writing an obituary for Buxton's career. 

Is there a chance his knees start to feel better by 2024 and he can be at least a part time CF? Yes, though there is no guarantee. But I don't understand the angst about him becoming a full time DH, potentially. 

Now, understand, I'm NOT comparing Buck to these names, but Cruz became a full time DH early in his ML career, which started late. Ortiz could barely handle 1B and moved to DH with Boston. But the player/situation I often look at is the career Molitor had. 

Very similar to Buxton, Molitor was a tremendous player who battled injuries on a consistent basis before eventually moving to DH. Now, I fully understand Molitor had himself a very nice career, while missing time and doing some light DH work, and didn't make the full transition to DH until he was about 35yo. I GET the difference here! But he made the transition and had several more highly productive seasons once he did so.

The biggest issue with being a DH is part physical and part mental. You have to find a way to stay "in the game" and to remain "physically up" despite not playing the field. And not everyone can do it successfully. But if Byron could learn to make that adjustment, he might be a very dangerous full time DH, even though it's a shame his generational CF defense would be gone. 

He's always been a bit of a streaky hitter, and might always be one. But his bat remains potentially very dangerous and productive. His knees get even a little healthier no longer an OF, he still might leg out XB hits, take an extra base, even steal an important base here and there, which most DH can't do. 

All I'm saying is, while a terrible shame his days in CF MIGHT be over, it doesn't mean he can't be a dangerous and productive player in a DH role. He doesn't have to be some black hole in the lineup, as some seem to be portraying him. A few weeks ago, before his rib shot injury, he was on pace for 30HR, 20+ doubles, and a combined nearly 200 runs scored and RBI. (Obviously skewed a bit when subtracting HR from total runs produced). That's a hell of a DH! And not a black hole at all. 

Yes, he's been slumping horribly the past few weeks after getting drilled. And yes, he might always be a streaky hitter. I'm just saying, I wouldn't be writing an epitaph on his career or the Twins lineup just yet if he does, indeed, end up at DH. It does mean some re-imagining of the roster going forward that wasn't exactly anticipated. But I'm not conceding any doom or gloom just yet.

[dogsday]

[raindog]

Freezing cold take