The Twins announced today that they have placed outfielder Byron Buxton on the 10-day injured list with left ribcage inflammation. Catcher Ryan Jeffers, who was activated from the paternity list, will take Buxton’s spot on the active roster. In an additional transaction, the Twins officially selected right-hander Pierson Ohl’s contract from Triple-A. He will take the roster spot left vacant after yesterday’s Chris Paddack trade.
Buxton left Saturday’s game early with what the team then deemed left side soreness (per Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic). His MRI revealed he had suffered rib cartilage irritation, which manager Rocco Baldelli described as positive news on Sunday (per Gleeman). At the time, the team believed Buxton to be day-to-day. Evidently, they have now decided he’ll need more than a couple of days off to recover. He is now eligible to return next Wednesday, though it’s not yet clear how long he’ll be out.
The All-Star center fielder is in the midst of a phenomenal season that’s shaping up to be the best of his career. He is slashing .282/.343/.561 with 23 home runs, 17 stolen bases, and 4 OAA. His 3.9 FanGraphs WAR ranks him among the top 10 players in the American League. Of course, playing at a superstar level has never been a problem for Buxton. Rather, his problem has always been staying on the field. He has dealt with injury issues in every season of his career. Only once has he qualified for the batting title, and even then, he just barely reached the cutoff, taking 511 plate appearances over 140 games in 2017. Since then, he has yet to even surpass 400 plate appearances in a season, and only once has he surpassed 100 games (102 games played in 2024). This is already his second IL stint of 2025; he previously spent two weeks on the concussion IL. The Twins and Buxton will hope his rib injury is not much more serious than they initially thought, allowing him to get back on the field in time to set new career highs in plate appearances and games played.
While Buxton is out, the Twins have an excellent backup plan in Harrison Bader – as long as he isn’t traded in the next two days. Bader is a Gold Glove-winning center fielder, and he also happens to be enjoying the best offensive season of his career. He has played most of his games in left field this year (marking the first time in his career he’s spent more time in a corner than in center), but he was one of the game’s premier defensive center fielders over the previous seven years. When the Twins signed Bader over the offseason, they were presumably hoping he’d spend as much time in a corner spot as possible, but they surely knew he might eventually have to fill in for Buxton in center.
Things will become more complicated for Baldelli if the Twins trade Bader ahead of the deadline, especially if they also part with utility man Willi Castro. That would likely leave rookie DaShawn Keirsey Jr. as Minnesota’s starting center fielder in Buxton’s absence. Keirsey’s speed should help him hold his own in center, but he is batting .120 with a .354 OPS this year in 78 plate appearances. That’s a big drop-off from Bader’s production and a massive drop-off from Buxton’s production. Regardless, if the Twins are planning to continue selling before the deadline, it seems unlikely that Buxton’s injury would prevent them from parting with Bader or Castro.
Another trade deadline candidate bites the dust. And another one gone and another one gone
He was never a trade candidate
Correct. Buck has a no-trade clause and he has been very clear about not leaving Minnesota.
Buxton was never on the block, he has no intention of leaving the Twins and dude has earned that. A 10-day IL stint is really not bad all things considered.
Earned it by being hurt all of the time? lol
Are we going to say the same thing about Acuna? He gets hurt almost as much.
A 10-day IL stint for Glass Joe never ends up being just 10 days. He’ll be out a minimum of a month.
Earned it how? 11 seasons where he managed to reach 100 games twice?
That’s completely the Twins’ fault for resigning this guy knowing his injury history. It’s completely on them as Buxton is the literal definition of a silver lining before he hits on the injury list.
They offered that contract precisely because they know he gets hurt a lot.
@yeasties
Right.
If he was good for 150 games a year at that production, he’d be a perennial MVP candidate and his contract would be double what it is.
He’s averaged 4.6 fWAR per 150 games over his career. And 4.8 fWAR per 150 games since he signed the contract.
But unfortunately that 150 games usually spans two seasons
Per 150 games yet he hasn’t even played 150 games in a season in 10 years.
You stat nerds would make horrible GM’s.
Are you serious? He said right at the beginning of his comment he already knows Buxton doesn’t play 150 in a season, but it’s a good contract anyway: “If he was good for 150 games a year at that production…”
Are you serious? I was replying to the second part of his comment.
Without paying attention to what he said in the first. He’s saying Buxton is a good contract even though he doesn’t play a lot of games because the production he puts up when he does play is still really good for the money he’s making. It’s not a horrible GM move, and it’s really not even that nerdy to understand.
Are you likewise befuddled by the concept of ERA?
“Earned runs per 9 innings? He never even pitches 9 innings per game”
It’s simply a way to compare apples to apples.
But, here, if this helps you
Buxton averages .0303 fWAR per game and .0319 fWAR per game since he signed his contract.
But what does that take away from what I said?
He has never played 150 games regardless of what anyone says.
RE DDC
Is anyone saying otherwise?
EVERYONE here knows that.
EVERYONE here participating in this conversation has said it.
Why are YOU brining it up?
Let’s all just agree that this is a bad contract.
It was a bad contract when they first did it. Because the next year they moved him to DH. He can’t stay healthy. Not once! I don’t know why they have him a no trade clause on top of that either.
Let’s assume he comes back in 10 days. His value will NEVER be higher. Ownership is looking to sell the team. This would be a great time to ship out the always injured player and get some salary relief.
“Let’s all just agree that this is a bad contract.”
It has been a fantastic contract for the twins.
Buxton for $15 million a season: 91 games, 370 PA, 22 HR, 60 runs, 52 RBI, .249/.320/.514 130 wRC+, 2.9 fWAR
fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?startdate=&…
Players who signed in 2024 for between 13 and 17 million a year: 128 games, 514 PA, 17 HR, 59 runs, 64 RBI, .248/.318/.416 102 wRC+, 0.7 fWAR
fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&st…
Players who signed in 2023 for between 13 and 17 million a year: 121 games, 489 PA, 11 HR, 50 runs, 49 RBI, .247/.316/.383 92 wRC+, -0.2 fWAR
fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&st…
Players who signed in 2022 for between 13 and 17 million a year: 119 games, 474 PA, 15 HR, 56 runs, 52 RBI, .240/.326/.405 109 wRC+, 1.5 fWAR
fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?startdate=&…
I hope you can see that Buxton’s production blows those guys out of the water.
1) He misses a lot of time
2) He’s very productive when he plays
3) He’s on a very cheap contract for what he produces when he plays.
Here are the hitters that signed for between $13 and $17 million a year since 2022 (the year Buxton signed his contract).
Who of these guys would your rather have than Buxton?
2022
Avisail Garcia
Mark Canha
Nelson Cruz
Chris Taylor
Anthony Rizzo
Seiya Suzuki
2023
MItch Haniger
Andrew Benintendi
Josh Bell
2024
Charlie Blackmon
Justin Turner
Lourdes Gurriel Jr
Jeimar Candelario
Rhys Hoskins
2025
Anthony Santander
Ha-Seong Kim
Gleyber Torres
Michael Conforto
There’s 18 names here. Who would you take over Buxton?
I see 3 players your could even consider
Gleyber Torres. He’s having a solid season this year. But, he signed a one-year pillow deal. You weren’t getting him long-term for $15 million a year.
Ha-Seong Kim. Maybe? But I don’t think so. But, he’s been meh this year (in just 10 games) and only signed that contract because he was coming off his own injury. You aren’t getting him long-term for $15 million a year.
Seiya Suzuki. This is the only player that realistically is anywhere near Buxton 0n a similar contract to Buxton.
Suzuki since 2022: 484 games, 2067 PA, .272/.345/.480 128 wRC+, 10.3 fWAR
Buxton wince 2022: 364 games, 1481 PA, .249/.320/.514 130 wRC+, 11.6 fWAR
fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&st…
And I’d still take Buxton. Same hitting. Better defense and baserunning. More productive player despite playing less.
Buxton is a productive player on a below-market contract. Nothing but a win for the Twins.
Just because Buxton is out performing other bad contracts, doesn’t make this a good contract.
Minnesota is a small market team. Spend your money wisely on good players that will average more than 91 games.
Brent Rooker makes half the money and plays double the games with nearly identical offensive production.
If I’m a Twins fan, I wish they kept Rooker and didn’t give Buxton that deal.
Brent Rooker. Who the Twins gave up when they gave Buxton this deal.
Conveniently not on your list.
He produces more than most players playing 150 games
He gets paid like players who don’t produce
How is that bad?
How much you play is definitely part of the equation. How well you play is the other part.
Definitely seems like a lot of people only look at one metric – games
FT
Do you know why he’s not on the list?
Because he hasn’t reached free agency yet.
Do you how how the MLB pay structure works?
Actually, he’s an example, not the literal definition.
I’d argue it’s because they’re small-market that they have to do this. That is, gambling on a full season from Buxton at a discount, and accepting results that aren’t earth-shattering because of his injuries, rather than just throwing 35 mil/yr at the next big free agent. He is cheaper AAV-wise than even the recent multiyear contracts for O’Neill and Teoscar, has so much more upside, and is more productive than both of them right even the way he is now. Even if you don’t think it’s an amazing deal, it’s at least a deal that is acceptable.
I was hoping the Cubs could get Bader to be their fifth OF and backup CF.
If Buxton produces like he has this season, that contract is going to be a huge bargain. Of course it all comes down to health with him.
Buxton is on the IL and all is right with the world, once again.
Not a trade candidate buddy
Narrative destroyed!
Why is this not surprising?
Correa next?
Lewis next?
Are there betting lines on these things?
Correa left tonight’s game in the first inning with lightheadedness. For a Twin that’s probably 60 days on the IL.
That’s what I get when I follow the Twins…
In other news, water is wet and the sky is blue.
And in other news….water is not wet. It makes things wet.
Then I guess I’m water.
This is now my auto response to this stupid debate! lol…well done sir 🙂
And the moon is made of barbecue spare ribs.
Beat me to it.
Harry died before learning about Buxton’s ribs…
I heard he sneezed too hard and broke a few ribs in the process.
Dustin May finds this interesting.
Oh lord, MKE fan here, but I was hoping for the best for this man this year. Dude has such bad luck that I absolutely would not be surprised if this turns into a 60-day. Hoping for the best a a bb fan.
Swear it will be an eye lash inflammation next time.
I’m curious. After a post like that, would you want him on the Mets? I ask saying he could play on my favorite team rib injury or not.
Mister Glass at it again
Rename the IL the BL. Buxton List. Dude redefines injured
This guy
BP = Battered Potential
The tradable chip that fell due to Buxton’s injury is Bader, now that he has to man CF. Or would you rather have a guy hitting .100 take over?
This is exactly why the Twins always sign a fringe everyday centerfielder as their 4th outfielder.
Buxton’s contract has provided massive value for the Twins.
Buxton and Minnesota agreed to a 7 year $100 million contract in December of 2021. Not even $15 million per year. There are some bonuses for plate appearances and MVP votes. I don’t think he’s reached any of those.
In the 3 plus seasons since then, Buxton has produced $92 million in on-field value (per FanGraphs). He’s basically been worth the entire contract and still has nearly half of it left.
Since 2022 Buxton is
6th in MLB in ISO (just behind Yordan Alvarez and ahead of Pete Alonso)
25th in ISO (tied with Alonso)
13th in base running
33rd in total offense
50th in fWAR (for position players).
Yes, of course he’s hurt a lot.
He’s still a massively productive and valuable player.
Edit
25th in wRC+ (not ISO).
Oh stop
Dude always seems to be injured more often than not.
Buxton should be moved to DH. He is Mr Glass.
Another of the most tragically overrated players that will be staying put.
You spelled “underrated” wrong.
The only thing he excels at is IL stints
That’s definitely not true
“Since 2022 Buxton is
6th in MLB in ISO (just behind Yordan Alvarez and ahead of Pete Alonso)
25th in wRC+ (tied with Alonso)
13th in base running
33rd in total offense
50th in fWAR (for position players).”
He missed almost half of his ream’s games. that isn’t value by any stretch of the word – I don’t care how good he may be when he is actually on the field.
” that isn’t value by any stretch of the word – I don’t care how good he may be when he is actually on the field.”
When looking at a player’s value you don’t care how good they are?
Then I don’t really care about your valuation (unless I was an opposing GM, then I’d just fleece you every chance I got)
He’s a part-time employee but gets full-time pay.
You couldn’t fleece a five-year old.
Do you really believe this? Are you just argumentative?
Teams don’t pay players for how many games they play. They pay them for what they produce. Do you understand that?
in 2022, for example, Buxton had 28 home runs in 92 games. That was tied for 27th most in baseball.
Do you think he’s LESS valuable because he didn’t need 150 games to hit those homeruns?
Do you actually think a player who hits 28 home runs in 92 games is less valuable than a player who hits 28 home runs in 150 games?
Take Josh Bell who played 156 games and hit 17 home runs with a 124 wRC+. Do you think he had a better year than Buxton who played 92 games and hit 28 home runs with a 135 wRC+?
Do you also not understand that Buxton only gets paid $15 million a year? Around half what a star player gets paid in 2025?
Yes, I understand how production works. But production over time matters too. Availability isn’t irrelevant, it is a skill. If a player puts up great numbers but is only available for half a season every year, that limits his total value to the team. You can’t help your club if you’re not on the field.
Your example proves the point: Buxton’s rate stats are impressive, but he played 92 games. That’s barely over half a season. A guy who gives you solid production over 150+ games has more cumulative impact than someone who’s elite for just 3 months before hitting the IL again.
And no, nobody’s saying Buxton’s bad. But when you miss 60+ games year after year, teams can’t count on you. That factors into how players are valued, not just what they do when they’re healthy, but how often they’re actually available to contribute.
And yes, $15 million is less than top-tier stars. That’s because teams do factor in availability. You’re making my point for me
Here’s your original comment
“Another of the most tragically overrated players that will be staying put.”
How’s he “teleagically overrated”?
He performs like a star for about half a season and gets paid about half what a start makes. His team didn’t over raté him. He’s almost certainly going to outperform his contract.
Are there some people who ocerrate him? Sure there’s some people who think the earth is flat and that Elvis is alive.
Do you think more people overate him than underrate him? I certainly don’t.
Most people know exactly what he is: a great part-time employee.
“The only thing he excels at is IL stints”
You underrate him. As your statement is patently false
“Most people know exactly what he is: a great part-time employee.”
A “great part-time employee” can get a lot more work done than an average full-time employee. Or even a good full-time employee. And if you only have to pay them half as much, they become massively valuable – like Buxton.
How’s that paying part time players full time money working out for Minnesota in the standings these days?
That’s what matters, wins. Not hard hit balls per 65 at bats or stats per 162 when you only play 85 games. That leaves a key spot in your lineup the other 77 games to a replacement value player – if you’re lucky.
If a team is super reliant on a player, obviously they will suffer if he misses half the 162 games each year. All the idiotic overused nerd stays don’t necessarily translate to wins.
I understand most of the advanced metrics but the fact is WAR and WAA etc doesn’t necessarily translate to a playoff team.
Otherwise the Ohtani,Trout teams would have been a shoo in.
“BuyBuyMets
18 mins ago
How’s that paying part time players full time money working out for Minnesota in the standings these days?
That’s what matters, wins. Not hard hit balls per 65 at bats or stats per 162 when you only play 85 games. That leaves a key spot in your lineup the other 77 games to a replacement value player – if you’re lucky.
If a team is super reliant on a player, obviously they will suffer if he misses half the 162 games each year. All the idiotic overused nerd stays don’t necessarily translate to wins.
I understand most of the advanced metrics but the fact is WAR and WAA etc doesn’t necessarily translate to a playoff team.
Otherwise the Ohtani,Trout teams would have been a shoo in.”
This [commenter] responded then muted me, it appears.
But I’ll respond to their nonsense anyway.
“How’s that paying part time players full time money ”
This isn’t really a thing that exists. Teams pay for the amount of production they expect – not how much they expect a player to play.
That’s why relievers like Josh Hader and Edwin Diaz get paid more than starting pitchers like Jared Lorenzen or Trevor Williams.
Do you really think that teams think that Hader and Diaz are going to pitch MORE than Lorenzen and Williams? Or do teams know they will pitch less, but will pitch better?
“working out for Minnesota in the standings these days?”
Dumb argument.
Do you really think the Twins’ problem is
Buxton: 146 wRC+ and 3.9 WAR and not, like
Ty France 93 wRC+ and 0.6 WAR
“I understand most of the advanced metrics ”
No, you don’t
“the fact is WAR and WAA etc doesn’t necessarily translate to a playoff team.
Otherwise the Ohtani,Trout teams would have been a shoo in.”
Here’s the evidence that you don’t understand WAR
Trout and Ohtani were very productive players and WAR measured that. It also measured that the other players on the team weren’t the productive.
Let’s take 2022, for an example
Trout 6 WAR
Ohtani 9.2 WAR (5.6 pitching 3.6 hitting)
That’s 15.2 WAR for those two.
The rest of the team had 12.2 WAR (10.8 pitching, 1.4 batting)
Trout and Ohtani were, literally, better than the rest of their players combined.
A team with 27.4 WAR would be expected to win (48 replacement wins + 15.2 TrOhtani wins + 12.2 Angels wins) = 75.4 games.
How many games did the 2022 Angels actually win? 73 games. Right in line with what WAR says.
Why do you think it doesn’t work? The Angels didn’t make the playoffs because outside of Trout and Ohtani, they weren’t very good. Not because WAR doesn’t accurately measure player value.
I didn’t mute you, I chose not to engage you any further because your argument is asinine. And every tirade you go on further proves it. Worship at his alter all you’d like I hope you’re a Twins fan because they’re stuck with him.
But.. but… the 2023 Angeks totalled 27 WAR and lost 73 games. So evidently with replacement level players they would have been 46-116.
Last year’s White Sox totalled +7 WAR. So with 41 wins they would have gone 34-128 with replacement level players.
Make it nmake sense Billy Beane. Thank God teams are starting to remember that games are played by players, not computers
“But.. but… the 2023 Angeks totalled 27 WAR and lost 73 games. So evidently with replacement level players they would have been 46-116.
Last year’s White Sox totalled +7 WAR. So with 41 wins they would have gone 34-128 with replacement level players.
Make it nmake sense Billy Beane. Thank God teams are starting to remember that games are played by players, not computers”
Another comment that shows the commenter is fully in Dunning-Kruger land
“teams are starting to remember that games are played by players, not computers”
No one thinks that baseball games are PLAYED by computers.
But they know that performance can be measured by statistics. And, yes, sure, computers can help with that.
No. WAR does not exactly measure actual wins. It’s not meant to. If you use that as a argument against WAR, that’s your fault for not understanding what WAR is.
“I didn’t mute you, ”
Not you.
Did you not see the comment I quoted that you didn’t write?
It’s asinine to say that Buxton is a productive player who is outperforming his modest contract?
I disagree. Strongly.
Worship? What are you talking about? I don’t worship anything. The entire idea of “worship” is absurd to me. The idea of “worship” comes solely from your mind, not mine
I’m not a Twins fan. I’d be happy to have Buxton on my team. I’d be thrilled.
This was due to the Homerun Derby.
Shocked I say! SHOCKED!
Who had July 29th in the IL date pool?
Having watched Buxton for over a decade, I had May 11th. In his defense he didn’t go on the concussion list until May 15th.
Guy plays all out. And still manages to hit the damn ball. These comments are so weak.
Buxton injured…check! Acuna injured…check! Nothing to see here folks, move along please.
Jokes aside, it is a real shame as both those guys are fun to watch and I think good for MLB as an entertainment spectacle. I’m a cranky old white dude, but I like watching guys that are fun, flashy and darn good at baseball.