Brian Buchanan

[William Malone]

Brian James Buchanan was born on July 21, 1973 in Miami, Florida.

The New York Yankees selected him in round one of the 1994 MLB Draft. He was traded to the Minnesota Twins for superstar second baseman Chuck Knoblauch in 1998. Minnesota also received Cristian Guzmán, Eric Milton, Danny Mota and cash in the trade package. Buchanan made his Major League debut for the Twins in 2000.

He played in 30 games for Minnesota as a rookie, batting .232 with one home run and eight RBI. Buchanan made the Opening Day roster in 2001 as a backup outfielder. He hit .274 with ten home runs and 32 RBI, appearing in 69 games. Buchanan had a similar role with similar production in 2002, but he was traded to the San Diego Padres for shortstop prospect Jason Bartlett in July.

Buchanan played parts of three seasons for San Diego, serving mostly as a pinch hitting specialist under old school National League rules. The Padres released him late in 2004, and he finished that season with the New York Mets. Buchanan continued to play professionally through 2009, spending time in various independent leagues. Since retiring, he has spent much time managing and coaching in independent leagues.

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