Phillies Can't Get Too Crazy With Byron Buxton Trade Proposal

The Philadelphia Phillies need an outfielder. They know it. You know it. The entire baseball world knows it. And who might be available before the MLB trade deadline? Minnesota Twins star Byron Buxton.

Buxton could be the best slugger dealt between now and Aug. 3, and he seems like an absolute dream target for the Phillies.

After all, Buxton is slashing .271/.328/.575 with 25 home runs and 45 RBI over 335 plate appearances this season, which would represent the biggest upgrade you could imagine over Justin Crawford and Gabriel Rincones Jr.

And while Buxton may no longer be the elite defender he was in his prime, he is still at least passable in center field.

But how much should Philadelphia actually be willing to surrender for the three-time All-Star?

I've seen some wild trade proposals when it comes to the Phillies and Buxton. I even recently saw one that had Philly sending Andrew Painter, Gage Wood and Aroon Escobar to the Twins in exchange for the former No. 2 overall pick.

That should never happen under any circumstances.

Buxton is a terrific player, yes. And Philadelphia definitely needs him. But he has an incredibly checkered injury history, and he actually just left Minnesota's Sunday matchup against the New York Yankees due to an aggravated hip issue.

Since entering the big leagues in 2015, Buxton has played in 100 games three times, topping out at 140 contests back in 2017.

That should undoubtedly give the Phillies pause, especially when it comes to coughing up such a substantial stash of prospects.

Buxton is under contract through 2028 on a very team-friendly $15.1 million annual salary, which is nice. But what if he misses a load of games again? Then Philadelphia — which already has a bloated payroll — will be playing for someone to remain on the injured list.

I am not advocating against the idea of the Phillies trading for Buxton. I certainly think they should place a call to the Twins to see if they can get something done. But I don't think they should go over the top to acquire him.

It's a tough situation, because Philadelphia is in win-now mode with an aging core. I get the sense of urgency. But I'm not entirely sure that splurging on Buxton is the best way to go for Dave Dombrowski.

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