Can Byron Buxton Actually Get Healthy?

[Battle ur tail off]

Will he ever be healthy? No, not in his eyes. 

I watch him play and he runs just fine. Then the next day you hear he is out: tweaked something, felt soreness, etc. It's the same every year, never an injury that anyone else can see, just that he can feel.

At this point he has to make a decision. Realize you will never "feel" totally healthy and tough it and out to get the most out of yourself that you can. 

or

Give up playing a full season or retire altogether. I wouldn't be opposed to resting him until next July then unleashing him for the back half of the season. 

 

[Sjoski]

Buxton has been injured or disabled for over 50% of his time with the Twins. In comparison, Puckett and Hunter were on the field over 90% of the time.  Just unfortunate for both Buxton and Twins fans.

[RickOShea]

5 hours ago, Aerodeliria said:

Good questions!

$10 million used to be a ton of money, but when you consider today's salaries it is not that big a load.  Just consider, we're paying Joseph Gallo, $11 million/year.

[SoDakTwinsFan]

4 hours ago, jkcarew said:

I’m done worrying about Buxton. The “Buxton” that everyone imagines doesn’t exist, and has NEVER existed. He’s never been a good player over the coarse of a full season or anything close to a full season. His ‘fullest’ seasons have been mediocre at best offensively.

I wish him the best health-wise. From a baseball perspective, the Twins have to move on. Find a CF, and a DH…if things work out, Buxton can be a depth piece, but he should never assume a larger role in how this team plans to move forward.

Spot on.  IMO he was incredibly overrated.  Someone posted earlier that he was a 5 tool player.  Was he though?  Speed and defence 100%.  I would put a giant ??? with the hit tools.  

The amazing thing to me over the course of his career is that he is a career .239 hitter.  He was one of the fastest dudes in the game.  Who knows how many infield singles he was able to beat because of his speed.  And he is only a career .239 hitter.  That to me shows just how bad of a hitter he is.  And if he can't play CF anymore, then he is absolutely worthless to the Twins.

[Battle ur tail off]

7 minutes ago, SoDakTwinsFan said:

Spot on.  IMO he was incredibly overrated.  Someone posted earlier that he was a 5 tool player.  Was he though?  Speed and defence 100%.  I would put a giant ??? with the hit tools.  

The amazing thing to me over the course of his career is that he is a career .239 hitter.  He was one of the fastest dudes in the game.  Who knows how many infield singles he was able to beat because of his speed.  And he is only a career .239 hitter.  That to me shows just how bad of a hitter he is.  And if he can't play CF anymore, then he is absolutely worthless to the Twins.

Hits for oodles of power still. Also when he is HOT, he can carry a team for a stretch. That said, he is so streaky that you're right, it's hard to pencil him in every day if he isn't playing in the field. At least it is hard when you are getting production from the rest of your lineup like we are right now. 

Expect though, a regression for alot of these young guys next year. The tape, the book, the plan, etc will be out on all of them and they will have to re-adjust. 

[SteveLV]

Buxton vs. elite starting pitching in the playoffs is not a good matchup.  Many K's on low outside breaking balls.

I asked this back when his contract was announced:  Did the Twins get insurance on all or part of that guaranteed contract?  I sure hope so, at least as a fan of the team hoping that it will not become a complete sunk cost.

[DocBauer]

SWe're going to have OP's like this throughout the offseason. So it's almost redundant as well as early at this point. But I'm still going to bite on this one.

The answer to the question is NO, he's never going to be fully healthy again. He has a bad knee. And trying to play and run on a bad knee has lead, IMO, to some occasional hip discomfort. Anyone who has ever hurt a knee, or ankle, knows you sometimes "tweak" another leg ailment as you limp and compensate. Now imagine that as a pro athlete. Do we really need someone from the Twins to sit down and describe his knee in detail? We really don't. 

He has a really bad knee. Period.

Decades of watching college and pro sports and what's been going on with him, not hard to speculate he has a cartilage problem. His last surgery didn't work. Or maybe he pushed it too hard. We'll never know. Same thing happened to Polanco a year or so ago. The second one seemed to work. MAYBE Buck needs some bone and or cartilage shaved again. Maybe he has a ligament that needs repair, maybe needing a mesh brace like they're using these days with elbow injuries. And MAYBE those types of things will get him CLOSE to healthy with a long rehab that extends in to 2024.

Speculation says he might be "healthy enough" to play CF on a part time basis. And if that happens, then he might still have to make the mental and physical adjustment necessary to be a mostly DH and occasional OF. 

Nobody complained about Cruz being a DH only because he was a special bat. Even in limited action over the past 3-4yrs, a healthy Buxton produced something like a .120 OPS plus. If he could do that as a DH/part time OF, that would be very good.

And I hope like crazy he can be that guy, even if rest and recovery and rehab takes him in to mid 2024. But I believe the Twins have to be honest in their approach for next season and NOT plan on Buxton. 

But that's a different discussion.

[Aerodeliria]

12 hours ago, DJL44 said:

Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia 'wouldn't have' had knee surgery after 2017 season - ESPN

Oooh. That sounds nasty. Yikes.

[Dave Borton]

23 hours ago, Bigfork Twins Guy said:

 If it IS degenerative and NOT repairable, then say so and start to think along the lines of insurance/early retirement

 

Insurance? What underwriter would have touched that rider on a contract with the history of Buxton's injuries. Can you imagine the price-tag it would have been?

I am believing there is no insurance.

1st knee injury, 5/2019
Signs long term contract, 11/2021

Quote

Policies often did, but now definitely do not include coverage on a pre-exising injury.

Comes from an article "UNDERSTANDING THE BUSINESS OF BASEBALL: INSURANCE ON PLAYER CONTRACTS..."

Dated 2013 but relevant. https://metsmerizedonline.com/understanding-the-business-of-baseball-insurance-on-player-contracts/#:~:text=Most policies cover between 50,player is on the DL.

Another more current article: "The medical underwriting process includes an application and physical exam, and exclusions for specific pre-existing injuries or illnesses may apply...."

https://awmcap.com/blog/mlb-draft-disability-insurance-overview

 

 

[DJL44]

13 hours ago, SteveLV said:

Buxton vs. elite starting pitching in the playoffs is not a good matchup.  Many K's on low outside breaking balls.

Is Luplow vs elite starting pitching better?

[SteveLV]

11 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Is Luplow vs elite starting pitching better?

Only against lefties, and still hope Luplow will not be on post-season roster.

[Vanimal46]

2 hours ago, davidborton said:

Insurance? What underwriter would have touched that rider on a contract with the history of Buxton's injuries. Can you imagine the price-tag it would have been?

I am believing there is no insurance.

I am under that belief too. I would guess both Buxton and Correa’s contracts are uninsured. 

[Dave Borton]

1 hour ago, Vanimal46 said:

I am under that belief too. I would guess both Buxton and Correa’s contracts are uninsured. 

Uninsured only for previously ID'd injury aspects of their bodies, ie Correa foot and possibly back? Buxton has numerous injuries in the past so that would be a very thin rider on him.