Across the Meadow: The Buxton Saga

In my extremely disappointed opinion, I have always thought they would find a way to get rid of Sano and Buxton before they were owed their big payday. 

THey have not earned a big payday

I also don't fault Buxton for feeling misled this season. Every decision the FO made with him was systematically calculated to keep his service time below 3 years.

It will take a sign of good faith (maybe raising his salary for 2019?) To get the relationship back on track. I doubt we'll see Buxton at any Twins related events over the offseason.

Good faith? Are you kidding?

"Systematically calculated to keep his service time below 3 years"?

Did you forget when the FO rushed him back to the roster before he was fully healed physically, or fixed his hitting problems, earlier this year?

Did you forget that the Twins built the bulk of their 2018 marketing plan around Buxton leading them on to even better things this season?

He, along with Sano, were obviously wildly unprepared to compete- the disaster that is 2018 has to be to a large degree on them both.

As an FYI to how bad Buxton was:

66 CFers with 94+ PAs listed in Fangraphs. Buxton is # 66 in BA @ .156 and #65 in OPS- @ a stunning .383. With his top-flite athleticism, he should have been able to bunt and hack enough 3-hop infield singles to, at the least, to have reached a .500 OPS. This was "accomplished" mostly when he was injury-free.

Try to find another legit MLB player who finished 1/3 of a season or better with an OPS+ of "4". Yes, 4.

When he supposedly was healthy enough to play rehab games, the medical staff was so concerned with the fragility around his wrist and foot, he was only permitted in playing every other day.

Two weeks of good AAA hitting didn't merit playing in September.

Get healthy, Buck. In the offseason, focus on heavy prehab training, and hire 5 legit breaking ball hurlers to throw you 500 junk balls per day. And watch streaming video of CF guys like Torii on how to avoid catastrophic collisions with OF walls.

I'm as disappointed in the lack of offensive progress as anyone. But reading these Buxton threads, it's like defense doesn't matter at all.
Preventing a run is theoretically as good as producing one. Buxton has 7 bWAR in 302 career games.

All true, but see my post immediately above.

Some of his injuries and overall physical day-to-day health are directly related to haphazard disregard for his own personal safety.

 

 

Buxton should be glad, as he's gotten far more service time over the last 4 years than what he should have due to (in my opinion at least) poor management decisions. 

 

Buxton has been nothing short of terrible, and if he doesn't learn how to hit, this will be moot anyways. I really hope they plan on keeping him in the minors in 2019 as well. He should get called up at some point, but not until he shows that he has a good approach at the plate that can be sustained in the majors. 

The Twins rushed him back, clearly before he had remedied his hitting woes. But part of his hitting woes should have been properly addressed in the offseason- isn't that on both parties?

I stand by my opinion. If you think Levine and Falvey just looked at his service time numbers on August 31, you're fooling yourself. They've thought about this all season. And their decisions reflect that.

Falvey as much acknowledged their decision in this regard. It doesn't change the rest of the facts as laid out here previously. I'm even inclined to agree with a previous poster that he needs to spend time in AAA to start 2019 until he demonstrates that he's addressed the enormous deficiencies in his game.

There's too much talent there continue this annual carousel. I would hope that the tough love actions taken by management will light a fire under Buxton- because if it does- I really think we will witness HOF level play by him (and Buck can thank them much later).

All true, but see my post immediately above.

 

Some of his injuries and overall physical day-to-day health are directly related to haphazard disregard for his own personal safety.

Hello?

Mike Bearadino ran an article this March about how Buxton was proud of his ability to play through pain and how he had no fear of walls

https://www.twincities.com/2018/03/28/twins-star-byron-buxton-takes-pride-in-his-ability-to-play-through-pain/

Read the article now and tell me if there aren't red flags,  He was very brash about his reckless play in the article above.  Not sure how a GM wants to offer a guy like him years and money.

That's all fair, those types of posts aren't what I'm pointing to.
I've read his mlb performance described as awful, terrible, pathetic, etc.
Those are bizarre descriptions, unless one completely disregards half the game.

I am sorry. but defemse is not "half of the game"

Not by any stretch of the imagination

The Twins rushed him back, clearly before he had remedied his hitting woes. But part of his hitting woes should have been properly addressed in the offseason- isn't that on both parties?

To an extent. I was referencing Buxton's 4 year career, not just this year. He should have spent more time in the minors, that part was obvious, but the Twins got rid of all their CFs and didn't have a backup plan. Not sure this current FO helped much either. They handed him the job in 2017 as well. I could see that in 2018 given how he finished, but it was the same old Buxton to start in 2018. I think they need personally to plan on him not starting in 2019. His approach is bad, and for what it's worth, he has not developed good habits at the plate. 

The way I see it, if Buxton would have been in AAA most of the season where he belonged, based on his performance at the major league level, this whole service time issue wouldn't be an issue.

All anyone needs to do is read Chief's comment about defense. Sums it all up.