The Philadelphia Phillies need help in multiple areas: starting rotation, bullpen, outfield, you name it.
Over the weekend, Dave Dombrowski reiterated that the club has been speaking to everyone, and will certainly be buyers at the deadline, but won’t give up any top prospects for short-term rentals.
The Minnesota Twins are among the teams from whom the Phillies are interested in poaching players. They are in the basement of the AL Central with a 42-58 record and have already dealt veteran slugger Nelson Cruz to the Tampa Bay Rays. They have numerous players who will be free agents at the end of this season, including a few who would be solid upgrades for the Phils.
Here are three Twins the Phillies should consider at the trade deadline:
The Phillies are interested in Gold Glove outfielder Byron Buxton.
It’s been confirmed that the Phillies are interested in Buxton, and since he and the Twins were unable to come to an agreement on an extension, there is a possibility that the Gold Glove outfielder will be wearing a different uniform by the end of the workweek. But Jon Heyman reports that there’s still no guarantee that they will trade him at the deadline when he is under club control through 2022.
Byron Buxton extension talks did not result in a deal. Offered $70M plus and some incentives. Can’t blame the Twins for trying but hard to put a value on a superstar talent who’s missed that many games. If healthy he’s got $200M ability. Ken_Rosenthal and @DanHayesMLB on it
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 25, 2021
This season, Buxton is hitting .369/.409/.767 with a 1.176 OPS, 10 home runs, 19 RBI, and five stolen bases. Of course, that’s a small sample size, given that he’s only played in 27 games this season.
But Buxton has been one of the best defensive players in the game over his career, winning both a Gold Glove and Platinum Glove.
The sticking point with Buck is that he’s an injury magnet. The Phillies are dealing with a multitude of injuries, not to mention a continuous COVID outbreak due to half the roster refusing to get vaccinated. Buxton is great when he’s healthy, but the emphasis there is on when he’s healthy. He’s only played in 100+ games one time in his seven-year career and has only played more than half a season three times.
Is Buxton’s baseball acumen worth the injury risk for the Phils? We’ll find out sooner or later.