Why a Byron Buxton trade makes sense for the Blue Jays

The Minnesota Twins have gotten off to a rough start this season, as they currently sit in third place in the American League Central with a 10-16, record. But one of their bright spots has been 31-year-old center fielder Byron Buxton, who has five home runs on the season with a 104 OPS+.

And while Buxton has been a twin his entire career, their slow start has led to some buzz around whether the team would consider trading Buxton.

Why a Byron Buxton trade makes sense for the Blue Jays

On a recent episode of the the Baseball Tonight podcast, Paul Hembekides listed three reasons why it makes sense for the Twins to move on from Buxton.

The first reason is that he’s (finally) healthy.

While Buxton oozes talent, he's had trouble staying on the field throughout his MLB career. He's played more than 100 games just twice in his career.

He hit the 140-game plateau as a 23-year-old in 2017 and accumulated 5.0 bWAR and won a Gold Glove. Last year, he got into 102 games and accumulated a 3.6 bWAR while slashing .279/.335/.524 with an .859 OPS.

Buxton has averaged 72 games a year during his 11-year career.

That said, it seems like he's finally turned a corner when it comes to his injury problems, and finally looks like the kind of player who can contribute every day.

And while those injuries have robbed Buxton of countless opprotunites to get on the field, he's been incirebdly productive in the times where he has been on the diamond.

He’s accumulated 25.4 bWAR during his 11 year career, and he averages 28 home runs, a .303 OBP and 110 OPS+ across a full season.

Buxton has spent the first part of this season showcasing that he still has the raw tools to be an effective player.

He's is in the 93rd percentile in hard hit rate (56.7%), 100th percentile in sprint speed (30.2 feet/sec) and 84th percentile in outs above average (1).

And, as Hembekides pointed out, the Twins could be more motivated to move Buxton due to their stacked farm system.

The Twins have two consensus top-ten outfield prospects in Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins. Most MLB insiders think that they're both MLB-ready, which means that Buxton could be on the trade block.

He still has three years left on the seven-year, $100 million contract he signed with the team ahead of the 2022 campagin. He's owed $45 million across those three years, which cover his age 32-24 seasons. The biggest complication in this scenario is that Buxton has a full no-trade clause, meaning he'd need to approve any trade.

If the Blue Jays are in the thick of a postseason race at the trade deadline, could Buxton be inclined to waive that no-trade clause to join Toronto?

While I'm sure he'd want to join a winning team, the Blue Jays already have a crowded outfield picture before you factor in the impending return of Daulton Varsho.

But Buxton has a lot of the tools that this iteration of the Blue Jays' front office has always coveted: a plus defender at his position who has plus speed and power.

While the Blue Jays have a few players with that profile already on their roster, Buxton's power would be a game-changer. He has 139 career home runs, and he's already hit five home runs this year, which is more than anyone on the Blue Jays' roster.

He's an intimidating presence in the box, and he'd help and would lengthen the lineup and provide some pop with runners in scoring position. He's slashing .273/.261/.364 with runners in scoring position this season.

Buxton has an elite blend of speed, power, and defensive acumen.

His ability to drive in runs, combined with his elite fielding skills, would give the Blue Jays a significant upgrade in their lineup while adding to their already proficient defense in the outfield. If the Twins continue to play well below .500, this is one potential trade target to keep an eye on.