The Philadelphia Phillies will be making changes to their outfield this winter. They are scoping the trade market and free agency to see which players are available who would be a fit. One name that has cropped up recently is Minnesota Twins star center fielder Byron Buxton.
According to The Athletic's Dan Hayes, the Twins may look to trade Buxton this offseason, who could consider waiving his no-trade clause to go to a contender (subscription required) if Minnesota's roster teardown continues. He has been and will be of interest to the Phillies.
Buxton said this summer that he wants to remain with the organization that drafted him for the remainder of his career. That was before the Twins traded 10 of their players at the trade deadline.
However, Hayes says that a major league source believes the outfielder also desires to play for a contender. Buxton may be willing to modify the contract clause to include certain teams where he'd prefer to be traded.
Is trading for Byron Buxton worth the gamble for the Phillies as a part of their outfield overhaul?
Buxton has three years remaining on the seven-year, $100 million deal he agreed to with the Twins in December 2021. His total salary over the next three seasons is slightly more than $45 million. Hayes notes that the outfielder's no-trade clause runs through next year, and he can block trades to five organizations in 2027 and 2028.
The Phillies have been rumored to be a suitor for Buxton for the last few years, dating back to at least 2021. He is a right-handed hitter, which the club is seeking. The Baxley, Georgia, native won a Gold Glove and a Platinum Glove Award in 2017 in recognition of his defense. He played in a career-high 140 games that year.
This season, Buxton had a career-high 35 home runs and 83 RBIs in 126 games, winning his first career Silver Slugger Award. The center fielder has been active for 100 or more games only three times in his career. Due to his lengthy injury history, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski should proceed with caution.
The Twins appear uncertain whether they want to commit to a rebuild. Twins president of baseball and business operations Derek Falvey said that he is satisfied with keeping their top players, including Buxton, according to Hayes.
The Phillies are looking to revamp their outfield. Nick Castellanos and Max Kepler won't be back. Harrison Bader, whom the club acquired from the Twins in July, declined his $10 million mutual option and is now a free agent.
Top prospect Justin Crawford is on track to be one of the Phillies' options to play in left or center field next year. Rumors have also connected the franchise with acquiring Jo Adell or Taylor Ward from the Los Angeles Angels.
Buxton possesses talent both as a batter and a fielder. He is a solid player when he has been healthy. It is certainly worth exploring acquiring him due to his overall talent. However, Dombrowski should be wary about taking the risk to trade for a player who has a reputation for being injured for a substantial portion of the season and counting on him to have a big role with the Phillies.