Byron Buxton would understandably be a hot commodity ahead of Major League Baseball’s trade deadline on July 31, and it would be foolhardy for his Minnesota Twins not to explore a potential deal.
The AL Central club is already 11.5 games out of the division lead at the All-Star break and four games out of the final Wild Card spot — and a bad start to the second half following Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic in Atlanta would solidify their standing as a seller.
Trading the center fielder, who is finally healthy after an avalanche of injury issues over the years, would land them quite the package to re-tool the roster. Especially for a mid-market team that will pay him $45 million through 2028.
The 31-year-old is having a career year with 21 home runs and 56 RBI — which already ties a career high — in 76 games (he has not played in more than 102 games in a season since 2017), which garnered him All-Star Game and Home Run Derby honors.
He would be a near-perfect fit for the Mets if this year’s trend of health and production continued. New York is in desperate need of legitimate production from center field after the expected platoon of Jose Siri and Tyrone Taylor was shelved when the former broke his leg in April.
Taylor, with the occasional starts from natural second baseman Jeff McNeil, does not have the bat to keep up with his elite glove. Mets center fielders this season possess a paltry .614 OPS, with Taylor’s mark at .580.
But Buxton has no plans to go anywhere, and his no-trade clause all but confirms that the building trade speculation can effectively end now.
“I’ve got a no-trade clause. I’m a Minnesota Twin for the rest of my life,” Buxton said. “That’s the best feeling in the world, knowing when I walk into the clubhouse every day, it’s going to say Twins. I love Minnesota. That’s home.”
So, the Mets will have to look elsewhere if they are keen on bringing in a center fielder before the deadline, which is not necessarily a given. The top priority will be to bolster the bullpen, and maybe even snag another starting pitcher after a first half that saw Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, Kodai Senga, Paul Blackburn, Griffin Canning, and Tylor Megill all dealing with injuries.
