Byron Buxton is a superstar worth building Twins future around

Byron Buxton headlines the Minnesota Twins group of exciting young players, and the team needs to build around him.

Last year was an unexpected whirlwind for the Minnesota Twins. After losing over 100-games in 2016, Paul Molitor’s club hammered out an 86-win season and earned a Wild Card berth. That was largely thanks to an exciting young group of players, headlined by outfielder Byron Buxton.

Minnesota is looking to build on that exciting season, but they also need to start thinking about the future beyond this year. They have young studs all over the roster: Miguel Sano in the infield, Jose Berrios in the starting rotation, Buxton in the outfield. That big three should carry the team into its next window of contention, but how far is up to the front office.

One thing the Twins have been missing while in their slump is a franchise player. Joe Mauer’s best days are behind him and Brian Dozier has been the defacto All-Star. Buxton, however, presents a face of the future and the Twins would be wise to lock him down for as long as he’s willing to stay.

All indications seem to point towards that being for a while.

This is a good sign for a middle-market team, as superstar talents don’t come often or cheap. Buxton is the head of the new wave of studs and the Twins have been waiting for his destined success. In 2017, the outfielder had an improved offensive year at the plate, hitting .253 with 16 home runs and 51 RBI. He also swiped 29 bases to go along with his better plate production.

The kicker here is his defensive prowess, as he was one of the best outfielders in the MLB. His Def was 11.8, which means he was an above average defender. Buxton could become the best defensive center fielder in the near future. Third baseman Paul De Jong was extended today by the St. Louis Cardinals. He is also 24 years old, so his contract could be a baseline in talks. With that said, Buxton’s deal could range in the 6-8 years with bonuses.

Next: 10 Biggest Hotheads in MLB History

Money within the $50-$60 million range seems reasonable. If Buxton becomes the star that is envisioned, that will seem like a massive discount. So, the Twins need to get this done for more reasons than one. Joe Mauer has been the face of the franchise for a while now, so a transition is in order. Also, fans haven’t had a superstar like this in a long time. They need a player that they can lean on and buy jerseys for. That player is Byron Buxton, who will run the show in Minnesota for a long time.