With the Minnesota Twins deciding to sell, Jon Morosi reports that trade talks for Byron Buxton have “intensified.” While there are multiple teams involved in talks for Buxton, there is no deal that is currently close. The Mets are rumored to be one of the teams in the running for the Twins’ star centerfielder.
Sources also tell Michael Mayer that the Mets are having conversations with the Twins about starter Kenta Maeda.
Sources: Mets have had conversations with the Twins about outfielder Byron Buxton.
— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) July 30, 2021
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Buxton and the Twins were not able to come to an agreement on a contract extension. With the two sides unable to come to terms on an extension, the Twins decided to shop Buxton.
Buxton has only played in 27 games in 2021 due to injuries, but in that time he has hit .369/.409/.767 with 10 home runs and five stolen bases. The former number one prospect has always been known as one of baseball’s premier defensive centerfielders.
Despite the strong performance when he is on the field, Buxton’s 2021 season has been derailed by injuries. After suffering from a hip injury early in the season, Buxton broke his left hand when he was hit by a pitch shortly after returning.
Although Buxton is proving to be an elite talent, his inability to stay on the field throughout his career has certainly hurt his value. With the deadline looming, the price for a player with Buxton’s skill and injury history remains to be seen.
