The New York Yankees could look to make a blockbuster trade this winter. Whether they re-sign Juan Soto is one thing, but the Yankees have the assets to make a big deal either way. If they were to lose Soto, the need for a big trade would be much more significant than it is right now.
Peter Appel of Just Baseball put trade packages together to improve the Yankees roster this winter if they lose Snell. One of his trades would move a massive haul for outfielder Byron Buxton.
“The Twins are amid a television rights battle, so they could be in the market to move off some of their larger contracts, especially in the outfield, where they have plenty of talent on the roster and coming up in the minor leagues. He’s making $15M a year over the next four years, and he’s just 31 years old. He put up 3.7 fWAR in just over 100 games this year with a 142 wRC+…
“Centering the deal with young bats that have made their debut, like Oswald Peraza, Everson Pereira, or Ben Rice, could be a starting point. It would likely take more than that, even if the Yankees ate every cent of the contract,” Appel wrote on November 26. “An offer of Oswald Peraza, Everson Pereira, and Chase Hampton would be enough to get in the door with Minnesota. All three prospects can help the Twins in 2025 and are 24 years old or younger. I hope the Yankees at least try and give Minnesota a ring, just to test the waters.”
Why the Yankees Should Be Careful With Buxton
There isn’t any debating the type of player Buxton is. Frankly, when he’s healthy, he’s shown the ability to be one of the best players in Major League Baseball. Not that he’s at the same level as Soto, but Buxton is a legitimate superstar.
Unfortunately, he can’t stay on the field. Since 2017, he’s played in just 494 games. In that span, he has 105 home runs, a slash line of .248/.309/.511, and 122 OPS+ in 1,895 at-bats.
The New York Yankees don’t have time for a player who’s frequently hurt. Perhaps Buxton could get healthy, and the Yankees feel confident in that, but it’s a big risk they’d have to take.
Buxton Looking to Get Healthy
Buxton has played through injuries over the past few years. That’s a good sign for the New York Yankees that he loves to play baseball. This isn’t a guy who wants a few days off. Buxton has legitimately been injured, and while that’s a concern, it’s good to know he leaves it all on the line.
He knows he doesn’t want to continue dealing with this and is excited for the future.
“It’s not where we want to be, but I don’t look at it as a negative,” Buxton said, according to Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com. “There’s a lot of positives for me this year. I had goals set for myself, and I achieved them. So it’s all about taking those little small wins and building off of those and just going from there.”
Buxton added that this is the first offseason that he’ll be “normal” in about six years.
“About six years,” Buxton said.
Hopefully, that’s all he’ll need to stay on the field. He’s a treat to watch and someone Major League Baseball needs to be healthy.
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