In 2012 the Minnesota Twins drafted Byron Buxton. They paid him a $6 million signing bonus. The most lucrative singing bonus paid in Twins history is $6.7 million. That bonus was paid to Royce Lewis who, like Buxton, can’t seem to stay healthy for any length of time.
Buxton, along with Miguel Sano, were immediately marketed as the anointed saviors that would take the Twins to the promise land. Sano was signed in 2009 and paid a $3.15 million signing bonus. This bonus, was the largest ever paid to a Latin American position player.
Both Sano and Buxton came to the major leagues in 2015. Sano was hired to hit homeruns. He played for the Twins for seven complete seasons with a brief appearance in 2022. After averaging only 86 games in the lineup per season, hitting only 162 homeruns (a little over 20 per season and never exceeding 35 in a single season), compiling a low .230 batting average and striking out to the tune of 130 times per season, the Twins stopped the bleeding by buying Sano’s remaining 2022 contract for $2.75 million.
While the Twins finally gave up on the promise of Sano, they have never given up on the promise of Buxton, whose performance numbers are close to those of Sano’s. Instead, the Twins signed Buxton to a seven-year $100 million contract in 2021 which included another signing bonus of $1 Million. The agreement is not only lucrative but has eliminated any Twins remedy for the Buxton frustrating.
Buxton’s average salary is $14,285,714. His base salary this year is slightly over $15,000,000. It contains a full NO TRADE clause through 2026. In 2027 and 2028 the restriction is lessened to a five-team trade list. It is estimated that the Twins have already paid him $55,314,417 with five-years remaining on his current agreement and three of those years containing the NO TRADE clause.
This is now the tenth season that Buxton has been in a Twins uniform. The only season that held promise resembling all the marketing dollars the Twins have invested in Buxton was 2017. He played in 140 Games which is the only season he has played in over 100 games. For the first, and again, only time in his career he had 500 plate appearances. Buxton has tremendous speed which has been demonstrated in the way he covers the gaps in centerfield earning him a Gold Glove award in 2017. He stole just 29 bases, the most in any season he has played. But strikeouts plagued him. He whiffed 150 times.
The
only other point at which Buxton demonstrated excellence was in 2021, the year the Twins crafted his
current contract. While playing in a
scant 61 games he hit .306 with 19 homeruns, 32 RBI, and scored 50 runs.
The
explanation as to why he has been less than stellar can be traced to his
never-ending injuries.
Sprained Left Thumb Shoulder
Injury
Back Spasms Left Foot Sprain
Migraines Right
Wrist Injury
Groin
Strain Hamstring
Pull
Strained
Wrist Concussion
Symptoms – Twice
Fractured
Toe Hip
Problems - Twice
Broken Hand Knee
Problems – 4 Occurrences
Two Arthroscopic medical procedures
on his right knee.
After just 28 games this year Buxton is currently out of action, AGAIN, due to soreness in that right knee, once AGAIN.
This has resulted in an overall discouraging performance that not even the marketing gurus can justify or fix.
·
He
has played in just 698 of 1,486 games. A
Miserable 46%
·
Has Struck out
763 times in 2,351 at bats. A 32% strike out average.
Ø 20% is the average in the major
leagues.
·
His lifetime
batting average is only .239
· And saddest of all, he has only stolen 86 Bases – Less than 10 a year
This
has been heartbreaking for the Twins, their fans and most especially for Mr.
Buxton. However, the final chapter has
not been written. A miracle or some quirk
could bring us a happy ending. All we
can do is try to stay optimistic, while never under estimating the torment of
the Minnesota athletic curse and bearing in mind that no one ever said life is
fair.
Byron
working his magic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JzH5wLsjS8
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