As noted by Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Twins center fielder Byron Buxton assured fans at this weekend’s TwinsFest that the club’s star defender would be back in center field for the 2024 campaign.
Buxton, 30, was limited to DH-only duties during the 2023 campaign as he battled knee issues before ultimately undergoing knee surgery in October. The nagging injury woes, in addition to stopping Buxton from playing defense last year, may have contributed to his diminished results at the plate last season. In 347 trips to the plate, Buxton slashed a modest .207/.294/.438 that was roughly league average by measure of wRC+. That’s a far cry from the .258/.316/.558 slash line he compiled from 2019 to 2022. The offensive potential Buxton showed during that four-year stretch, when combined with his elite defensive abilities and quality baserunning, made the outfielder one of the league’s most valuable players on a rate basis.
Buxton’s potential has been limited, however, by constant struggles with injuries over the years. Across nine seasons as a big leaguer, Buxton has only appeared in 100 games once, during his 140-game 2017 campaign. Since then, he has averaged just 65 games a season while never appearing in more than 92 in a single campaign. Given his long-standing struggles with staying on the field, the club hoped that by making Buxton their full-time DH in 2022 they would be able to keep him on the field more frequently. That, of course, didn’t pan out, and returning their star center fielder to his natural position has long been acknowledged as the ideal scenario for the club in 2024.
Earlier this offseason, reports indicated that Buxton was fully healed from his autumn knee surgery and was expected to return to baseball activities before the end of the 2023 calendar year, with club officials hoping he would be able to return to regular work in center field in 2024. Since then, Helfand notes that Buxton has resumed baseball activities on a daily basis. Evidently, the return to activity has gone well enough to this point that Buxton and the Twins are confident he’ll be able to act as the club’s every day center fielder to open the year. That may help to take pressure off the club’s front office to find a replacement for center fielder Michael A. Taylor, who stepped in as a regular at the position last year while Buxton was unable to take the field. Internal options to back up Buxton in center currently include the likes of Austin Martin, Nick Gordon, and Willi Castro.
As noted by Helfand, Buxton isn’t the only Twins position player recovering well from offseason surgery. Both first baseman Alex Kirilloff and outfielder Jose Miranda under went surgery back in October and have been progressing well in the run-up to Spring Training. Both youngsters indicated that they hope to be ready to go once camp opens next month. Miranda’s big league career kicked off with a bang in 2022 when he impressed with a .268/.325/.426 slash line in 125 games, but his sophomore season didn’t go nearly as well as he was limited to just 40 games in the big leagues by injuries and ineffectiveness. Kirilloff, meanwhile, enjoyed something of a breakout season in 2023 as he slashed a respectable .270/.348/.445 in 88 games while splitting time at first base with Donovan Solano and Joey Gallo.
Hahahahahahahaha
The best defensive guy who can’t stay on the field and a DH that hits .220 and can’t get on base. Yet they treated him like the best player on the planet.
He was once rated the best prospect on the planet and for short spans player the part
But short spans haven’t amounted to much in longer spans even when he’s on the field. One year he tore it up in April and just went cold after the one month.
And although he’s fast, he’s not great at getting on base and injures himself in the field on defense.
There’s still buzz about him wherever he goes but he’s never consistently had the stats to prove his worth.
He does a nice job of offsetting the OBP with elite Isolated Slugging % and the hype is about the raw tools which show up in the defensive numbers, sprint speed, average exit velos, hard hit rates and by the fact that half of his hits are for extra bases.
“Average exit velos, hard hit rates”…Don’t get lost in the rather meaningless numbers my friend. Buxton is a complete bust. Without availability and durability nothing else really matters.
@machumizer For only 20 percent of the time or less. Quit looking at the forest for the trees. He’s had spans of success, but spans mean very little in the greater scheme of the season.
“Buxton is a complete bust.”
This isn’t First Take. You can tone down the hyperbole. He has 21.0 career WAR and he only just turned 30. That’s a solid MLB career and could turn into a very good one. He hasn’t lived up to expectations but calling him “a complete bust” is beyond asinine.
You’re right, but the media treats him like he’s a baseball superstar.
I have been following baseball since the mid-80s. I rarely choke up while watching a game. Tony Gwynn getting five hits in a game at Wrigley and getting a standing ovation did it. Kent Hrbek throwing me (as a second-grader) a baseball he caught as the last out of the game also did it. There have been other moments as well. But Buxton playing in center field use to choke me up regularly. What he did in center can only be described as poetry. I have never seen that poetry from another player. And then to watch his anguish and frustration as his body breaks down…it’s almost too much to watch. I think a healthy Buxton would have been an easy hall of famer. Perhaps an inner circle one. Instead, we have a “what could have been.” I am rooting for him. And I hope he proves all the ugly naysayers wrong.
It will be emotional to watch him trot out to center field again. Of course, he will slip on a sprinkler head, rip something, and be out indefinitely. As night follows day.
He’ll get a lump in his throat from the fans reaction and miss the rest of the year.
Funny.
“Buxton Planning To Return To Center Field In 2024” as #1 bleacher fan.
Actually The 100MM extension was quite modest the red sox , or giants would of paid him 200 MM easily if given the chance
Outstanding defense until he runs headfirst into a wall.
Good luck with that ambition.
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I strongly suspect that I chose wisely
He couldn’t stay healthy as a DH and they didn’t let him steal bases, which is a big part of his game.
So now they’re gonna let him play one of the more physically demanding positions and that’ll help? Hmm
He couldn’t get on base to steal bags. A .300 career OBP (.294 in 2023) isn’t even respectable for the praise he gets. He will tear it up for a month then get ice cold the next before an injury sidelines him the rest of the season.
His surgery last year did not go the way they hoped. This surgery seems to have solved those complications.
What’s the harm in giving it a try?
It’s certainly worth a try, especially at the price they pay him.
The jarm is $15Min salary, which is not alot to most teams but somewhat significant for the Twins. I get the giving it a try, I’d say first let him show he can DH regularly and stay healthy. From there maybe give him time in field with consistent rest DHing.
If he can stay healthy he has loads of talent. Usually I’m of the belief it’s more bad luck then injury prone, but Buxton just seems to be made of glass.
He showed no value at DH last year. It’s hard for players to full time DH and he was no exception. Plus, with the depth the twins have they like to shuffle their players through the DH role to keep people fresh. Buxton at DH hurts this team. Either he’s plays center field or they need to find him a new position.
I say put him in the field. He’s a waste as a DH. Will get hot once then fade. At least he’s got speed in the field and can contribute more there, but they are best to cut ties with him if they get the chance (and they probably won’t).
Just noticed ForDoingNothing’s post. In full agreement.
Surgery didn’t cause the complications of having a low OBP all his years except one.
They are gonna make him earn his salary somehow. His numbers are OK if he plays a great CF but as a DH, they’re very poor.
I agree his #s are poor for a DH. I also am widely of the belief that in nearly all cases DH spots are best utilized for rest from field for top bats opposed to one player monopolizing the spot.
The issue with Buxton though is he can’t stay healthy even when he’s just DHing. If they re trying to maximize the value of what they ve invested in him, they re kind of stuck trying to keep him healthy. Now I’d they re ready to view him as a sunk cost, yes by all means toss him in CF or another OF spot and hope for the best. At this point though it seems very likely he ll be complaining of some time of benign soreness or strain once he does.
Great plan… I give it 6 weeks
Byron Buxton planning to circle the Moon 2024
Damn’d if you do, damn’d if you don’t situation for the Twinnies, so maximizing his value for those 65 games a year (LOL- yikes Byron) in CF instead of DH makes sense to me.
Good for him. The mentality of a full time dh doesn’t resonate with me. You just sit around for 3 hours minus on couple minutes here and there. So hope he stays healthy and has a full productive season
All time great defence and speed.
BUST
No matter how much of a disappointment he was as a #1 prospect back to back years, at least he turned out more useful than Jurickson Profar.
Tim Beckham enters the chat…
Delmon Young may actually be an even bigger bust.
At least we didn’t pick Young instead of Buster Posey
I am planning on dating Jennie Kim. We will see what happens…..
I looked her up, and it makes me wonder why you would be interested. Do you somehow consider her attractive???
Korean girls are amazing. Shes considered attractive by most of the universe.
I assumed you meant due to popularity or having better morals than average.
As a husband to a beautiful Korean wife, I agree with you 100% Blackpink! Not sure what this has to do with Byron Buxton or baseball as a whole, but I couldn’t resist commenting on this thread.
@Dorothy Would you say Asians make better wives due to moral reasons?
“I looked her up”…I’d get my eyes checked if I were you bro. She’s most definitely attractive to 95% of the planet.
95% may have low standards. Camila Cabello is what I consider “attractive.” The person above is meh for my standards.
Hey Bp, let us know how how it works out and if your plan is successful, please share…..I have a little Yuqi on my mind.
I’d love to see him stay healthy, such a talent when he is. But I would not play him much in CF, that’s just asking for trouble. MAYBE he stays healthy enough to DH for 2/3 a season, but to ask him to play the field makes that almost impossible. He could get hurt running the bases too, but in CF much more likely.
How many games does he plan to play in centerfield in 2024? 5? 10? Maybe 70?
84
Oh no! This will not end well for him
it stinks that such an exciting player can’t stay on in the field. you know you’re injury prone when an article talks up your “rate basis” value
Kris Bryant, Byron Buxton and Steven Strasbourg enter a bar….
Bryant and Strasbourg each have rings. Bryant and Strasbourg each have more money than the entire GDP of Palau.
Buxton has been FAR more abused by fate.
Haniger is a victim of fate. Buxton is just pure fragile. His injury history kind of suspect as well other than a fractured toe and concussion. The rest are all soft tissue injuries such as strained, soreness, sprained, spasms, migraines etc.. have been the the bulk of his issues. Kind of makes me question if he’s kind of a p×@@y or simply doesn’t want to play.
I hate to even speculate such a thing on any player, but most of his injuries seem kind of bening and most are not things that are definitively physically limiting such as broken bones and torn soft tissues.
Who is this “Strasbourg” guy? I do know of a 1st pick named Strasburg, though. Lol
I’ll take the under on games played this season.
One of the bigger recent what ifs. He’s not a bust, but not a success. Hope he can get some magic health, but he reminds me so much of Jason verrett
Byron Burton plans to return to the IL this season.
21 career bWAR
19 career fWAR
the man is valuable if he plays 60 games a year in center
His low on base% is the only knock on him that I’ll agree with
Good luck dude. Stay safe.
I hope his hospital bed is ready
As much as I hate the Twins, I would LOVE to see this guy just flat-out dominate MLB for the next decade. The baseball gods have kicked him in the nuts FAR too often.
It’s not as if Buxton’s health improved in a DH role last season. The back of the rotation has been thinned out so the Twins should absolutely be focusing on putting the best possible defensive alignment behind their starters.
Not playing CF didn’t do any more to keep Buxton in the lineup than playing CF so they might as well let him get back out there
Do yourself a favor and watch some defensive highlights from Buxton on YouTube
He’s had a lot of fluke injuries, but he also shouldn’t be going easy. A lot of his value is going all out. Still running full speed into walls could be something that doesn’t happen.
He’s losing a lot of money since his contract is so incentive based. Hopefully, that motivates.
The team still needs a capable proven backup. I like the teams depth, but you can’t expect a prospect to be championship level at a premium position. Expectations are still high for the team.
The article said Austin Martin was a back up centerfielder. When I checked the link on who he was , it said he was a relief pitcher. Does anyone know who they were really talking about?
Former 5th overall pick by the Blue Jays. Part of the Jose Berrios trade. Plays center, LF, 2nd, 3rd, and SS. Best suited at 2nd and CF.
baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=mar…
Jose Miranda’s an outfielder?
1st, 3rd baseman and DH. I rolled my eyes at that too. If I were not a Twins fan, it would be funny to watch Miranda try to man the outfield!
Everyone acting like he’s still full of potential-dude is about to turn 30. He’s been in the league 9 yrs and has played over 100 games only once. Barring a miracle, we know exactly who he is at this point.
Fragile old Byron Buxton. Yet another reason the Twins will finish 2nd to the Tigers this year.
Delusion
The Tigers improved this offseason. The Twins have been subtracting.
The dude is just not a good enough hitter to not be playing defense. When he’s truly healthy, he’s fun to watch but we have seen so little of that over his career. Hate to say it, but he’s been a bust to this point
Twins installing a wheelchair ramp
As he should, part of his value is that he is an elite defensive center fielder. I know he’s made of glass but he still got hurt as a DH last season.
Throughout his entire 20s, he only once ever played in 100 games in a season. Doesn’t get easier in the 30s.
Breaking News: Byron Buxton injured making the announcement.
Aaaaaaaand he’s hurt again
Got a feeling this is be another failed new years resolution… But would not be mad if he pulled through
I wonder if moving him to a corner outfield spot would help keep him healthier at all?
Only five more seasons of this.
I’d take the under.
Buxton is basically a higher profile, higher ceiling Aaron Hicks- players who can’t stay healthy or consistent, but have these stretches where they play like they’re 12 WAR players if they did this for an entire season, so they got relatively large, relatively cost effective extensions where teams assumed they’d be splitting the difference on their value and paid them the median of the two extreme versions of the player.
But that’s like someone saying “there are weeks or months where I make enough money that if I sustained it I’m pacing for $1 million this year!…. I also have weeks where I make no money and months where I barely clear $2,000….. but man, some weeks it’s like I make a million a year!”
And yet there are plenty of players who are like that and never get the big overpay. They still settle for like $6M or $8M etc a season because they and their team know their true overall value and kind of ignore the peaks and take the valleys into more account.
“Meanwhile” has to START the sentence; it can’t come in the middle, set off by commas. Check CMOS.