Buxton meets with Rocco

[clone52]

2 hours ago, Woof Bronzer said:

If they add him, it should be solely to be a last gasp pinch hitter very late in a game against a LHP when we need a home run.  I fear that rostering him will tempt Rocco to DH him ahead of Julien, which would be a disaster.  Not to mention playing him in the field which would be malpractice.  I hope the club notices that the offense only came alive once the 2 strikeout-king black holes, Buxton and Gallo, took a seat.  The '23 team is simply better without Buxton in the lineup, sad as that is to say.  

Would no DH Julien over Buxton against lefties?  I think you'd 100% go with Buxton against lefties.  Julien has been brutal against lefties.  Buxton hasn't been good, but far better than Julien.

Honestly, you'd maybe go with Farmer over Buxton, but you definitely don't go with Julien.

Versus RHP
C: Jeffers
1B: Kiriloff
2B: Polanco
3B: Lewis
SS: Correa
LF: Wallner
CF: Castro
RF: Kepler
DH: Julien

Versus LHP
C: Vasquez (should be Jeffers too, but Vasquez has been good against lefties and you probably aught to give your C a break)
1B: Solano
2B: Polanco
3B: Lewis
SS: Correa
LF: Castro
CF: Taylor
RF: Kepler
DH: Farmer (or Buxton)

That LF spot is the one situation where you might consider Luplow or Gallo over Buxton.  If Buxton can play the field, its a no brainer.  You take the upside that his long rest ignites his bat and he carries you.  If Buxton is DH only, its a tougher choice.  I'd probably still keep Buxton for the potential upside.  Against LHP, Luplow and Gallo have been a little better than Castro hitting, but I think the defense/base running Castro gives you would tip the scales if I was making decisions.

Team Matchups probably come into play as well.

If you play the Blue Jays, you are going to see Berrios, Bassitt, Gausman or Kikuchi as SP.  My guess is Berrios, Kikuchi, Bassitt, because Bassitt is a lefty.  I'm sure they'll have LHP Ryu on the roster as a long reliever against the Twins and Mayza and really good LHP relievers.  Gallo has had success against Kikuchi and Mayza, but Ryu owns him.  Luplow has had few chances, but good success against them.  Same for Castro, although 0-6 against Mayza.  I'd probably start Castro in LF and keep Buxton.

If you play the Astros, Verlander would likely start Game 2 on short rest, or Game 3 on normal rest.  Framber Valdez probably pitches game 1, unless he pitches on short rest on Sunday.  If Houston is in a must win situation, they probably go with Valdez.  Christian Javier is in line for Sunday's start, but you'd think they'd go with Valdez, or at least have him ready to go.  Valdez is their only LHP starter and Bennett Sousa is their only active LHP reliever who's pitched in 6 total games.  Parker Mushinski has pitched in 14 games and is not on the active roster.  Valdez is really the only LHP of concern.  Gallo has some success against Valdez, but so has Castro, so I'd go with Castro/Buxton here too.

Seattle has no starting LHP.  Saucedo and Speier are their only 2 LHP relief options.  Neither is dominant.  Gallo has 1 HR in 1 AB against Speier and 2 K's in 2 AB against Saucedo.  No reason to keep Gallo or Luplow in this one.

I think you go 11 pitchers and 14 hitters with Buxton filling the last hitter spot.  Pitchers are clearly Lopez, Gray, Ryan, Maeda, Duran, Stewart, Jax, Thielbar, Pagan and Varland, with 1 more spot open.  I think with Lopez/Gray, you are likely to go 5-6 innings and if you don't, Maeda is there to fill in.  Then you go with Duran, Thielbar, Pagan, Stewart and Jax to get you through innings 7-9.  Varland is there is neither Lopez/Gray last that long.  Between Duran, Thielbar, Pagan, Stewart and Jax, you should be fine in innings 7-9 all 3 games.  

Against Seattle, J.P. Crawford is the only guy you might want a LHP for.  No need to keep Keuchel or Funderberk.  You probably go with Paddack, but you might also consider Ober.  But Ober is your most likely Game 1 starter if the first round goes 3 games, so Paddack unless he gets blown up against the Rockies.

Against Houston you have Yordan Alvaraz, Michael Brantley and Kyle Tucker.  Tucker hits LHP well, so you can ignore him.  Thielbar has done well against all 3, but you probably want another lefty.  I would lean Funderberk.  Kuechel is decent against Brantley, but he has given up 2 HRs and Brantley's OPS against him is higher than his OPS against all LHP.  

Against Toronto, you only need a LHP for Brandon Belt (and maybe Kevin Kiermeier, but he's not really worth it).  If you check out matchups, Varland has been destroyed by the Blue Jays.  Paddack has dominated some of the Blue Jays and Keuchel has dominated other parts of the Blue Jays lineup, so I think you put both of them on the roster.

 

[clone52]

4 hours ago, mnfireman said:

If the team rosters Buxton for the WC series, he would need to be used without limitations, not as a break glass in case of emergency type. Every roster spot on this team, as constructed, is too valuable to have a player sit on the bench waiting for the perfect opportunity to play him.

If the plan is to DH Lewis, then I don't feel Buxton has a spot unless he is healthy enough to play in the field. If he is healthy enough to play in the field, then he should be starting and MAT comes in late for defense (whoever thought that line would be used!!). 

Rostering Buxton in hopes of a Kirk Gibson type PH appearance doesn't make sense for the WC series but could (and maybe should) be revisited if the team advances.

Agree, if Lewis has to DH, you leave off Buxton.  But if Lewis is good for 3B, I think Buxton is your 14th hitter even if he can't play the field.

[jorgenswest]

Success in the postseason is really going to hinge on the Lopez, Gray and the starting line up and not the last roster spot or two that we will debate for pages.

I have no idea how close Buxton is to being ready. I do know that no one has more upside and if anyone can be a difference maker in the last spot, it is Buxton. I think I would roll the dice with Buxton

[Woof Bronzer]

4 minutes ago, clone52 said:

Would no DH Julien over Buxton against lefties?  I think you'd 100% go with Buxton against lefties.  Julien has been brutal against lefties.  Buxton hasn't been good, but far better than Julien.

Honestly, you'd maybe go with Farmer over Buxton, but you definitely don't go with Julien.

Julien has 40 ABs against LHP.   That's not a meaningful sample size.  

Some of us have been clamoring for him to get at bats against lefties to see if he can handle it.  Sure seems like it would have helped with a decision like this.  I do not trust Buxton at all, and more than that, Julien is an important part of the future here.   Show confidence in the kid and he might just reward you for it.  As far as our hitting goes, it's the young guys' team now.  Believe in them! 

[clone52]

Playoff injury rules are interesting.

If Lewis is DH only, the decision on that last spot comes down to Buxton/Stevenson.  I'm going to discount Stevenson's value as a defensive replacement.  You can run Kepler, Taylor and Castro out there as a good defensive outfield.  

Has Buxton slowed down as a baserunner with the injury?  Is Stevenson's pinch running capabilities far better than Buxton's?  The other thought is that you really only need a pinch runner in a game started by a LHP, or at least moreso.  If a RHP starts, you'd have Taylor on the bench to be your first pinch runner.  You're also probably only going to pinch run for the Catcher, Kiriloff and Walner.

The only reason to keep Buxton is if you think/hope his hitting might come alive.  Its certainly possible, but not likely.

One problem if you keep Buxton, if he just tweaks his knee and that slows him down, the Commish is probably not going to allow you to replace him on the roster.  

I think my heart says Buxton for some hitting redemption, but if you are stuck with Lewis at DH and Buxton just can't play OF, the right move I suppose is Stevenson.

[clone52]

5 minutes ago, Woof Bronzer said:

Julien has 40 ABs against LHP.   That's not a meaningful sample size.  

Some of us have been clamoring for him to get at bats against lefties to see if he can handle it.  Sure seems like it would have helped with a decision like this.  I do not trust Buxton at all, and more than that, Julien is an important part of the future here.   Show confidence in the kid and he might just reward you for it.  As far as our hitting goes, it's the young guys' team now.  Believe in them! 

Julien was not great against lefties in 2021.  I couldn't find his splits in 2022.  Buxton at least has a history against LHP.  I'm in favor of giving Julien more ABs against LHP in the regular season, but in a playoff game, thats kinda nuts.  Plus, he gives you a potent pinch hitter against a righty reliever, but you'd also have Kiriloff and Wallner for that.

Kind of moot if Lewis has to DH, though.  You certainly aren't playing Julien over Solano, Polanco or Farmer against LHP.

[chpettit19]

3 hours ago, Woof Bronzer said:

Considering he has been unable to play CF for a single game at any level this year, I think the question has been answered.  

Most likely, yes.

[chpettit19]

3 hours ago, Parfigliano said:

He tried playing D in a minor league game 2-4 weeks ago.  He could not because he physically cant.

He didn't try, he did play center in St Paul on 8/30 for the planned 7 innings. Reportedly had no issues in game. Couldn't complete the next game as the DH, though. That was almost exactly a month ago. I don't expect him to be able to play CF, but that'd be my requirement for him to make the roster. I don't know his current ability to do that. I'm not predicting anything, or making a statement on his current physical state. Just saying that, for me, he'd either be my starting CFer, or he wouldn't be on the roster. No in between.

[RickOShea]

6 hours ago, Battle ur tail off said:

https://www.startribune.com/byron-buxton-rocco-baldelli-minnesota-twins-postseason-roster-la-velle-e-neal-iii/600308395/

 

I'm not a subscriber to the Strib, but it let me look at this article anyway. I know this has been discussed here before, but what do people think will happen here?

From how I look at it assuming Royce is healthy enough and makes it, the last roster spot is going to come down to Buxton, Gallo, or Luplow. If I am correct and it truly is those 3, I am 100% on the bring Byron with bandwagon.

I DON'T want him starting games. MAT has done a great job and to be honest, this lineup has done a great job since the AS break. But Buck as a pinch hitter, runner, possible corner OFer late, etc makes some sense. I also think it could be a bit of a jolt in the arm to the team mentally, etc. having him there 100% engaged in the dugout. 

So, I guess my take on this is: BRING BYRON WITH. 

Corner outfield isn't a solution.  It may decrease the amount of territory, but he still has to contend with the fence, playing surface, and overcoming the differences of playing and covering angles.

[chpettit19]

3 hours ago, Battle ur tail off said:

It only takes one my friend. 

 

Why when you are choosing between Byron, Gallo, or Luplow? Of those 3, to me it's obvious who should come with. 

That said, I might be wrong on those being the last 3 fighting for a job.

Because Buxton brings nothing else to the table if he can't play OF. If he can't play OF it's because he's still hurt. If he's still hurt he's not a better option than either of those other guys. Hurt Buxton isn't a good hitter while Luplow is useable against lefties. Hurt Buxton is a DH/PH only which significantly limits your choice of moves while both Gallo and Luplow can at least take the field, and thus give you far more flexibility with the moves you'd make. 

I wouldn't be excited about any of the 3 being on the roster, outside of good, healthy Buxton. But if he's not healthy, he has less usefulness than either of those other 2 guys, in my opinion.

[chpettit19]

1 hour ago, clone52 said:

My guess is Berrios, Kikuchi, Bassitt, because Bassitt is a lefty. 

 

FYI, Bassitt is a righty.

[jkcarew]

6 hours ago, FlyingFinn said:

I can't open that attachment but MLBtraderumors.com has Neal saying Lewis is likely to play DH in the wild card series. That really limits Buxton.

That would be VERY bad news. It puts Lewis or Julien on the bench for every game. Not good.

[FlyingFinn]

4 minutes ago, jkcarew said:

That would be VERY bad news. It puts Lewis or Julien on the bench for every game. Not good.

I think it puts Julien at 2B and Polanco at 3B vs. RH's. Not so good for our defense.

[jkcarew]

2 minutes ago, FlyingFinn said:

I think it puts Julien at 2B and Polanco at 3B vs. RH's. Not so good for our defense.

Yeah…you’re probably right. Weakens the infield defense at two positions though. Farmer much better at 3rd than Polanco, IMO.

[Riverbrian]

2 hours ago, jorgenswest said:

Success in the postseason is really going to hinge on the Lopez, Gray and the starting line up and not the last roster spot or two that we will debate for pages.

I have no idea how close Buxton is to being ready. I do know that no one has more upside and if anyone can be a difference maker in the last spot, it is Buxton. I think I would roll the dice with Buxton

I agree that success will hinge on the pitching.

Against the Astros... that last spot may not matter much. 

However... with the way that Rocco has consistently utilized his roster. That last roster spot is going to matter against teams like the Jays and Rangers. 

Rocco will use nearly every position player on his roster against the Jays. The Jays will make sure that he does. 

  

 

[Nine of twelve]

I haven't read any comments. Just posted to say that I think the front office and the manager will do what they think is best for the team, not what anyone else thinks is best. I'm sure they'll listen to what Buxton has to say, but I think his lobbying will have little to no bearing on their decisions regarding the roster.

[Twodogs]

11 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

I saw Falvey on MLB Hot Stove 2 days ago and he said that the Team was trying to figure out how to get Byron some At Bats at this point……this after being asked about his probability to be able to play.

Seems pinch running & outfield are not only remote but moot with where his health was at as of Wednesday morning.

I would definitely like his bat as pinch hitter or DH v. LH pitching instead of Luplow…….if he’s at a health level that promotes .208 Byron, then Luplow makes more practical sense.

Bottom of the 9th inning.  Rocco tells Buck to go down to the cages and get loosened up.  Donovan Solano draws a walk. Twins are down 4 - 3.  Rocco switches Castro in for Solano at 1st.  At the same time he pulls Kirillof out and low and behold Byron Buxton comes to the plate, grimacing with every warmup swing Buck gets to the plate.  Castro steals 2nd, all Buck needs is a base hit now.  Count goes to 3 - 2.  Buck hits a walk off bomb, as he is limping around the bases he is pulling the horn of his dad's truck.  Tell me that wouldn't be a great story.  Oh wait a minute, it's happened before, huh?

[BiggestRoccoFan]

17 hours ago, clone52 said:

Would no DH Julien over Buxton against lefties?  I think you'd 100% go with Buxton against lefties.  Julien has been brutal against lefties.  Buxton hasn't been good, but far better than Julien.

Honestly, you'd maybe go with Farmer over Buxton, but you definitely don't go with Julien.

Versus RHP
C: Jeffers
1B: Kiriloff
2B: Polanco
3B: Lewis
SS: Correa
LF: Wallner
CF: Castro
RF: Kepler
DH: Julien

Versus LHP
C: Vasquez (should be Jeffers too, but Vasquez has been good against lefties and you probably aught to give your C a break)
1B: Solano
2B: Polanco
3B: Lewis
SS: Correa
LF: Castro
CF: Taylor
RF: Kepler
DH: Farmer (or Buxton)

That LF spot is the one situation where you might consider Luplow or Gallo over Buxton.  If Buxton can play the field, its a no brainer.  You take the upside that his long rest ignites his bat and he carries you.  If Buxton is DH only, its a tougher choice.  I'd probably still keep Buxton for the potential upside.  Against LHP, Luplow and Gallo have been a little better than Castro hitting, but I think the defense/base running Castro gives you would tip the scales if I was making decisions.

Team Matchups probably come into play as well.

If you play the Blue Jays, you are going to see Berrios, Bassitt, Gausman or Kikuchi as SP.  My guess is Berrios, Kikuchi, Bassitt, because Bassitt is a lefty.  I'm sure they'll have LHP Ryu on the roster as a long reliever against the Twins and Mayza and really good LHP relievers.  Gallo has had success against Kikuchi and Mayza, but Ryu owns him.  Luplow has had few chances, but good success against them.  Same for Castro, although 0-6 against Mayza.  I'd probably start Castro in LF and keep Buxton.

If you play the Astros, Verlander would likely start Game 2 on short rest, or Game 3 on normal rest.  Framber Valdez probably pitches game 1, unless he pitches on short rest on Sunday.  If Houston is in a must win situation, they probably go with Valdez.  Christian Javier is in line for Sunday's start, but you'd think they'd go with Valdez, or at least have him ready to go.  Valdez is their only LHP starter and Bennett Sousa is their only active LHP reliever who's pitched in 6 total games.  Parker Mushinski has pitched in 14 games and is not on the active roster.  Valdez is really the only LHP of concern.  Gallo has some success against Valdez, but so has Castro, so I'd go with Castro/Buxton here too.

Seattle has no starting LHP.  Saucedo and Speier are their only 2 LHP relief options.  Neither is dominant.  Gallo has 1 HR in 1 AB against Speier and 2 K's in 2 AB against Saucedo.  No reason to keep Gallo or Luplow in this one.

I think you go 11 pitchers and 14 hitters with Buxton filling the last hitter spot.  Pitchers are clearly Lopez, Gray, Ryan, Maeda, Duran, Stewart, Jax, Thielbar, Pagan and Varland, with 1 more spot open.  I think with Lopez/Gray, you are likely to go 5-6 innings and if you don't, Maeda is there to fill in.  Then you go with Duran, Thielbar, Pagan, Stewart and Jax to get you through innings 7-9.  Varland is there is neither Lopez/Gray last that long.  Between Duran, Thielbar, Pagan, Stewart and Jax, you should be fine in innings 7-9 all 3 games.  

Against Seattle, J.P. Crawford is the only guy you might want a LHP for.  No need to keep Keuchel or Funderberk.  You probably go with Paddack, but you might also consider Ober.  But Ober is your most likely Game 1 starter if the first round goes 3 games, so Paddack unless he gets blown up against the Rockies.

Against Houston you have Yordan Alvaraz, Michael Brantley and Kyle Tucker.  Tucker hits LHP well, so you can ignore him.  Thielbar has done well against all 3, but you probably want another lefty.  I would lean Funderberk.  Kuechel is decent against Brantley, but he has given up 2 HRs and Brantley's OPS against him is higher than his OPS against all LHP.  

Against Toronto, you only need a LHP for Brandon Belt (and maybe Kevin Kiermeier, but he's not really worth it).  If you check out matchups, Varland has been destroyed by the Blue Jays.  Paddack has dominated some of the Blue Jays and Keuchel has dominated other parts of the Blue Jays lineup, so I think you put both of them on the roster.

 

I know everyone is in love with Jeffers but this is playoff baseball people and runs are very difficult to come by. I am starting Vasquez because he is a superior defender compared to Jeffers. 

[chpettit19]

27 minutes ago, BiggestRoccoFan said:

I know everyone is in love with Jeffers but this is playoff baseball people and runs are very difficult to come by. I am starting Vasquez because he is a superior defender compared to Jeffers. 

Wouldn't it being hard to score runs be a reason to start the guy who gives you a significantly better chance to score runs?

[T.O.]

I've enjoyed having Buxton out of the lineup and when Gallo was out even better.
I'd love to see Buxton field and hit like he did last year but there is no reason to think he is at even 20% of the level he played last year. You have to go with who got you here. Buxton wasn't a part of that.

Although,
maybe having him in the dugout might bring good energy to his teammates but there is no way he can field and I don't want to see him bat. What role does he play? Pinch runner?

[Jham]

Is Buxton not allowed in the dugout without a roster spot? 

Also, didn't Lewis hurt himself at the plate somehow? Never seen a hammy go on a swing. Not a great sign.

I'd leave Buck off and trust the other guys to advance and get him a chance later this fall. Win this series for Buck!

[Parfigliano]

10 hours ago, mrzippy said:

I've enjoyed having Buxton out of the lineup and when Gallo was out even better.
I'd love to see Buxton field and hit like he did last year but there is no reason to think he is at even 20% of the level he played last year. You have to go with who got you here. Buxton wasn't a part of that.

Although,
maybe having him in the dugout might bring good energy to his teammates but there is no way he can field and I don't want to see him bat. What role does he play? Pinch runner?

Cheerleader.

[ewen21]

11 hours ago, BiggestRoccoFan said:

I know everyone is in love with Jeffers but this is playoff baseball people and runs are very difficult to come by. I am starting Vasquez because he is a superior defender compared to Jeffers. 

Just so you know, the Twins have scored only 48 runs in those last 18 playoff games in a row that they have lost.  The lack of offensive production and lack of professional at bats is probably the biggest reason why they have been prohibitive losers in the playoffs.  I do not know what the make Christian Vasquez and his .603 OPS.  We do not need easy outs in the lineup.  We have been there and done that in favor of "defense" enough.  The defense doesn't suffer much with Jeffers in there over Vasquez.  The lineup surely does.

 

To address the topic ....

You know what loses in the playoffs?  Offenses that are toe up comatose.  That is what loses.  Give me the best lineup we can get and in this discussion that means Buxton isn't getting very many at bats if he does make the roster.  I, for one, am not impressed with him marching into Rocco's office trying to tell him he wants in on the playoffs.  What assurance does Rocco (or the GMs) have that Buxton won't come down with "swelling" or "soreness" and be a no go?  He has not played at the major league level in two months   All of a sudden the playoffs are around the corner and he is raring to go?

 

How this doesn't raise red flags about the guy boggles my mind.  To me, he is a guy who doesn't want to play more often than he wants to play.  Color me suspicious at this point.

[Linus]

I think people are getting ahead of themselves worrying about Buxton. If he makes the roster it will be as a DH against lefties and / or a pinch hitter. And if Lewis can’t play in the field then he is the dh and Buck sits the first round. 
 

I just gotta say the negativity towards Buck is a little much. The guy is injury prone not an axe murderer. By all accounts he puts himself through a lot just to try and take the field and people are acting like he’s sitting on the beach somewhere. 

[insagt1]

I think I would disagree with the above comment. I believe everyone wants Buck to succeed, but most are acutely aware that he is probably chronically injured. His track record is not good at all. He is always one swing, one slide, one dive...one anything from being unable to play. And over the past 2 years, his healing time is very slow. This is not negativity on Buck, Its reality that his body is telling him its a no go.

I believe he REALLY wants to play. And I'm betting in his quiet hours he is almost afraid to go out there for fear of doing more damage somewhere. This season he wasn't much help. Thats what frustrates all of us, including him I'm sure. We learned he isn't a successful DH, while being injured in some capacity.

Gallo is not a better alternative offensively. In a short series (and riding a ridiculous 18 game losing streak) you can't trust a guy who strikes out half his AB's. You surely wouldn't want him pinch hitting with the game on the line....would you? Most here don't like Luplow. Is he more reliable than Buck or Joey? Stevenson? Perhaps. (I didn't think he was eligible...when did that change?)

In the end, Buxton is a VERY sad story. Maybe he has one more kick at the can in 2024.

Maybe not. But most Twins fans are pulling for him.

 

 

[Squirrel]

3 hours ago, insagt1 said:

I think I would disagree with the above comment. I believe everyone wants Buck to succeed, but most are acutely aware that he is probably chronically injured. His track record is not good at all. He is always one swing, one slide, one dive...one anything from being unable to play. And over the past 2 years, his healing time is very slow. This is not negativity on Buck, Its reality that his body is telling him its a no go.

I believe he REALLY wants to play. And I'm betting in his quiet hours he is almost afraid to go out there for fear of doing more damage somewhere. This season he wasn't much help. Thats what frustrates all of us, including him I'm sure. We learned he isn't a successful DH, while being injured in some capacity.

Gallo is not a better alternative offensively. In a short series (and riding a ridiculous 18 game losing streak) you can't trust a guy who strikes out half his AB's. You surely wouldn't want him pinch hitting with the game on the line....would you? Most here don't like Luplow. Is he more reliable than Buck or Joey? Stevenson? Perhaps. (I didn't think he was eligible...when did that change?)

In the end, Buxton is a VERY sad story. Maybe he has one more kick at the can in 2024.

Maybe not. But most Twins fans are pulling for him.

 

 

I don’t disagree with you. I think most recognize the tragic-ness of the situation, while still thinking rostering him on the playoff roster isn’t the best thing for the Twins. If he can truly play, that would be awesome, but the probability of that does not look good. Recognizing the probable limitations isn’t being negative. However, when posters go out of their way to attack character as the poster did two above yours, yes, that’s negative. While it’s an opinion, it was uncalled for, imo. Suggesting that Buxton was making demands and simply choosing not to play, implying something nefarious in his behavior … I think not only is that negative, but also incredibly mean-spirited and ugly, and obviously from one who didn’t read the entire article but just spouting a long-held opinion about the character of someone none of us knows personally.

[Schmoeman5]

I'm pretty sure no one is rooting against Buxton. As a manager Rocco and the front office Will decide what they think is best moving forward. Sure Buxton WANTS to play and be a part of the playoff run. The question is CAN he? They will decide that. I don't think it's a matter of owing him a spot. And I don't think they'll give him that spot if they don't think he's physically able to help out the team. Until they set the roster, it's just speculation. And we'll all know in a few days what that plan is. And I'm sure that'll be a topic that is discussed one way or the other here on TD.

[JD-TWINS]

On 9/29/2023 at 10:53 AM, Azviking101 said:

If they think Buxton can play CF, he needs to be starting in CF. Don’t understand why anyone would think he’s not better than MAT.

if buxton can’t run then he shouldn’t be on the roster. He’s never been a good pinch hitter and I frankly don’t want to see him in that role. If he’s playing defense, he’s an insanely valuable hitter. If he’s not, I dont want to see him playing. Simple as that for me. 

MAT is a former Gold Glove center fielder..,…why is this so hard for TD readers to get? He’s played well all year and Buxton has DHed or SAT all year. That’s reality. Why are fans enamored with the possibility of Buxton making a diving catch???

Gold Glove with 100 plus starts this year v. NO starts this year in a best of 3 game series……..no brainer!

I too like Byron, but he’s hurt - been hurt - will continue to be hurt. In 7 of previous 8 seasons he’s averaged 76 games per year. That’s for real. No reason to roster him because we miss seeing him play and he might do something cool if he does play.

Roster to win the Series ……the guy hasn’t played an inning since August 1 and the Team has been successful. Let’s focus on the guys that can really help!

If Buxton is rostered he’s my DH v. LH pitching. He can pinch hit v. LH pitching. That’s it - trusting the coaching staff to roster guys that can contribute!!!

[Greglw3]

On 9/29/2023 at 8:56 AM, Woof Bronzer said:

If they add him, it should be solely to be a last gasp pinch hitter very late in a game against a LHP when we need a home run.  I fear that rostering him will tempt Rocco to DH him ahead of Julien, which would be a disaster.  Not to mention playing him in the field which would be malpractice.  I hope the club notices that the offense only came alive once the 2 strikeout-king black holes, Buxton and Gallo, took a seat.  The '23 team is simply better without Buxton in the lineup, sad as that is to say.  

I concur completely! Better offense without Buxton and Gallo.

If Buxton can get healthy, really healthy, in the future.....but his conditions seem chronic. It’d be great if he could play 150 totally 100% healthy

[Greglw3]

6 hours ago, Jham said:

Is Buxton not allowed in the dugout without a roster spot? 

Also, didn't Lewis hurt himself at the plate somehow? Never seen a hammy go on a swing. Not a great sign.

I'd leave Buck off and trust the other guys to advance and get him a chance later this fall. Win this series for Buck!

Lewis hurt his hammy trying to beat out a base hit. It was very clear. He aggravated it during the AB.