Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton confirmed on Saturday that his agent is talking with the team to negotiate an extension.
“I’m not sure how far they are, but apparently there’s a little bit of discussions about it,” Buxton told reporters. “I try not to worry about that too much.”
In his six seasons with the Twins, Buxton has developed into a critical part of the team. Although he got off to a slow start, Buxton plays elite defense in center field, winning a Gold Glove Award in 2017, and adding speed on a team that has ranked last in stolen bases each of the past two seasons.
Buxton has also picked up his production at the plate over the past two years. Buxton hit .259/.299/.534 with 23 HR, 73 RBI and 16 stolen bases over that stretch and the Twins have compiled an 88-38 record when Buxton plays.
The last part has been a major caveat. The Twins have struggled to keep Buxton healthy over the past two seasons as he missed the final two months of the 2019 season and battled several injuries in 2020.
But extending young players to contracts is something that the Twins’ front office has worked into their favor.
The Twins signed Max Kepler (five years, $35 million) and Jorge Polanco (five years, $25.75 million) to extensions prior to the 2019 season. The deals allowed the Twins to keep their nucleus in place while also having the financial means to spend on players like Josh Donaldson and Nelson Cruz in free agency.
Buxton agreed to a $5.125 million contract this season, but is eligible for free agency in 2022. Although the discussions are in the early stages, the 27-year-old is open to the idea of staying in Minnesota.
“Of course I would love an extension,” Buxton said. Obviously, I’ve been blessed to stay with this one team in my career, so to be able to put on this career and go out there every day, it’s something that many guys can’t do, I want to be one of those guys that was there with that one team. This place just means a lot.”
