Byron Buxton Has Been More Valuable Than You Think to the Twins

[rv78]

I've come to the conclusion that not only do they need each other but deserve each other. The Twins will never win anything with Buxton on the roster. He isn't available when he is needed and Buxton is loyal because they put-up with him not being there. It a "lose - lose" situation that both the Twins and Buxton have not only become accustomed to, but seem to want. And if that seems like nonsense, then why does Buxton want to stay with a team that doesn't commit to winning and why do the Twins put up with someone that can't play a full season and every year they have to have another player on their roster to cover for his abscence?

[chpettit19]

I'm not sure what people think Buxton has stopped the Twins from doing. Buxton has not been the Twins' problem, their complete and utter lack of development for a decade has been their problem. Their complete inability to get offense from "bat first" positions where they've fielded some of the worst fielders in MLB has been their problem. You don't even need Jenkins or Emma level prospects for CF depth, just average ones. Somebody who can go out and field CF at a high level when Buxton gets hurt. Don't need to be a star, just somebody who can go get it in CF. 

People point at MAT as the time the Twins got adequate "Buxton insurance." I'd add Bader. But those aren't star level, expensive guys. Those aren't guys that are crazy difficult to produce in house. They're glove first guys who had outlier offensive seasons in MN. They were Buxton insurance because of their gloves, and you cross your fingers on the bat. The Twins not being able to develop a Petey Halpin, Jacob Young, Kyle freaking Isbel, or Victor Scott is their problem. 

Those aren't guys you need to have on your roster all the time or give crazy playing time to. His contract is not some $30 mil/year thing stopping the Twins from filling other roster spots. If they could produce any semblance of a glove first CFer from their own system, they don't have a huge problem. A CFer who hits like Buxton is a luxury that gives you the chance to go to another level. When you have the mix of corner bats the Twins have run out there, then suddenly you need your CFer to be a star. If the Twins could have done the very manageable task of producing glove first CF depth and getting actual top-5-in-a-good-lineup bats from bat first positions, they'd have been sitting in a very good spot. But they couldn't. 

Ronald Acuna Jr isn't exactly a pillar of health. Better than Buxton, but certainly no iron man. Atlanta seems to find a way to survive while they waste a whopping 17 mil a year on that glass man. It's almost like they had a quality roster around him instead of having such a drastic "stars and scrubs" situation. They don't need another MVP candidate as "Acuna insurance," they just need to have a good overall roster. Just like the Twins don't need another All Star CFer as Buxton insurance, they just need a good overall roster.

I wish Buxton's body could've held up. I wish he could've played more games. But Buxton isn't the Twins problem, the rest of their roster is. Would I do an extension now? No. Definitely not for 20 mil a pop. But I also don't get the argument that he's holding the team back or they need to move on from him in any way. 80 games of a star is better than 0 games of a star. 50 games of a star are better than 0 games of a star. I hope Jenkins, Emma, Keaschall, and all the other prospects/young players hit their ceilings. I hope they all become HoFers. But they won't. And there's plenty of ABs to be had in this lineup that you don't need to move Buxton to get those guys in there. If those 3 all become All Star, or better, OFers for the Twins in the next couple years and they rotate through the DH spot with Buxton so the Twins have 4 All Star OFers while they're all healthy, it'll be the best problem this organization has ever had. If a crazy thing happens, and they aren't all All Stars, having Buxton for as many games as he can give will be better than not having him at all.

[Derojo]

Personally, I like Buxton. Other than injury here's other issues. 1. He's too easy to strike out as he swings at non-competitive pitches. He's not the only one; Caratini, Kreidler. He's supposed to be a star. 2. His batting stats as DH are not good. 3. He doesn't bunt. With his speed that's ridiculous. 4. He rarely steals bases. Again, with his speed that's absurd. Here's the situation: The Twins will protect him more and more given his injury history and age. That makes sense. It will also make him less valuable. BTW - Should Jenkins heat up next year, Buxton will be a DH or sub.