Byron Buxton’s latest surgery has put the Twins back at a familiar crossroads, and this time the question goes beyond when he’ll return. It’s about where he belongs once he does.
Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com reported Friday that Buxton will undergo arthroscopic hip injury next Friday, a development that comes after weeks of optimism around a second-half comeback faded fast. For Minnesota, it’s another blow to a season still hanging around the edges of the postseason race. For Buxton, it may be the latest sign that his future in center field is nearing an end.
The talent has never been in doubt. Over the past three seasons, Buxton has hit .265/.327/.531 with 78 homers, 185 RBI and 38 stolen bases on 41 attempts.
Last year looked like a breakthrough in durability, too: he played in 126 games and hit .264/.327/.551 with 35 homers, 83 RBI and 24 stolen bases on 24 attempts. He made his second straight All-Star team and third overall, then still finished the season at 93 games.
This year’s line was strong enough on paper - .254/.319/.511 with 25 homers, 46 RBI and seven stolen bases on eight attempts - but the bigger story is the same one that keeps following him around. In 12 major league seasons, Buxton has topped 100 games only three times, and just once before the back-to-back 100-game seasons in 2024 and 2025.
That reality is now colliding with the Twins’ roster decisions. Buxton has two years left on the seven-year, $100 million extension he signed before the 2022 season, and Minnesota has to figure out how to get more from him while keeping him on the field. The designated hitter experiment in 2023 didn’t solve the problem; he still ended up sidelined with a troublesome knee.
If Buxton is willing to waive his no-trade clause, the cleanest path might be a move to a corner outfield spot. It would be a change with a purpose: less ground to cover, less strain on his body, and maybe a better shot at keeping him available.
The Twins’ outfield mix gives that idea some real shape. Walker Jenkins was called up after Buxton came up lame in a game against the Athletics on Aug. 25, and while he has struggled in the majors so far, he has played center field in 168 of his 277 minor league games. That could make him part of the answer there.
Minnesota also has several corner-outfield possibilities, though none feel locked in. Trevor Larnach was nearly moved at this year’s deadline before Houston Astros owner Jim Crane stepped in, and his post-deadline production - .188/.250/.294, 2 HR, 6 RBI in 27 games entering Friday - could send the Twins back into the market for alternatives this winter.
Austin Martin and Alan Roden are in the mix as well, but neither has looked like a major league hitter yet. Roden can be sent back to the minors next season, while Martin is out of options, which makes his return next year unlikely.
There are still other moving pieces for general manager Jeremy Zoll to sort through. Luke Keaschall would need better defense to factor there, and Emmanuel Rodriguez is out of options for next season, which raises the possibility of him being an Opening Day starter. However it shakes out, the corner spots are among Minnesota’s most interesting winter decisions.
Buxton’s surgery won’t answer all of that, but it sharpens the question. The Twins are past the point of trying to save this season through him. The real issue now is whether moving him to right or left field is the only way to get the most out of what remains of his career.
In Other News...
Twins May Regret Passing On Their Biggest Offseason Trade Debate
The Twins spent the offseason weighing whether to use one of their best pitching assets to reshape the roster, and the biggest names in that discussion were Joe Ryan and Pablo Lpez. Instead of moving either starter, Minnesota kept both in place and banked on its current core to push the club toward a postseason return, a choice that looked reasonable at the time given how much value each arm carried.
The decision has only grown more complicated since then. Lpezs season-ending elbow injury wiped out his trade value and changed the calculus completely, while Ryan stayed healthy and remained the more obvious chip if the front office had wanted to attack other weaknesses before Opening Day. In hindsight, the Twins may have passed on their best chance to make a meaningful roster reset when the market still offered them real leverage. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Bats Failed At The Worst Time And One Regular Stands Out
Minnesotas offense has hit a rough patch at exactly the wrong time, and the late-season slide has made every quiet night feel heavier. Royce Lewis, Victor Caratini, Ryan Kreidler and Trevor Larnach have all come under the microscope as the Twins try to stay afloat in the playoff race, with the numbers pointing to a lineup that has simply not been carrying its share of the load.
Lewis remains the most obvious name to watch because his presence in the middle of the order was supposed to help steady the group, but the recent production from those four hitters has gone the other way. When the bats go cold in September, the margin for error shrinks fast, and Minnesotas struggles to string together offense have become a direct part of why its postseason position has been so hard to maintain. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Just Showed Their Next Wave And One Prospect Fans Lost
The Twins latest roster move came with a familiar sort of minor league cost. Jhomnardo Reyes, who turned in a strong rookie ball season with Minnesotas Florida Complex club, was dealt to the Orioles for pitcher Dean Kremer, a reminder that even promising young outfielders can become trade currency when a front office sees a chance to address the big-league side.
Still, Reyes was hardly the only name worth watching in the system this year, and that is what makes this trade feel like part of a larger picture rather than a one-off transaction. Caden Kendle, Adrian Bohorquez, Riley Quick, Ty Langenberg and Paulshawn Pasqualotto all showed meaningful progression, giving the Twins a next wave that looks increasingly real even as one prospect fans had started to notice is now headed elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]