Report: Minnesota Twins, Byron Buxton agree to $100 million contract
Byron Buxton #25 of the Minnesota Twins hits a home run in the fifth inning during the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Thursday, April 8, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ((Photo by Jordan Johnson/MLB Photos via Getty Images))
MINNEAPOLIS - The 2022 season for Major League Baseball is still four months away, but the Minnesota Twins made their first big offseason move on Sunday.
They’re keeping star center fielder Byron Buxton in Minnesota. According to Ken Rosenthal with The Athletic, the Twins and Buxton have agreed to a seven-year contract extension worth $100 million. The deal reportedly includes incentives for winning the American League Most Valuable Player Award, and a full no-trade clause.
The Twins are keeping Buxton after reports that he might be traded before the late July deadline this past season, and again this offseason if the two sides couldn’t agree on a new contract. Buxton was entering the 2022 season in the final year of his current contract.
When healthy, Buxton has been one of the Twins’ best players both at the plate and in the field. He played 61 games last season, hitting .306 with 19 home runs and 32 RBI. He missed time with a hip injury last season, then just days after coming back, was hit by a pitch and missed extended time with a hand injury.
Health has been the biggest issue for Buxton since the Twins drafted him. In seven seasons, he’s played in at least 100 games just once. He played in 140 in 2017, and 92 in 2016.
The Twins have not made the news of Buxton’s contract official. The deal also comes just days ahead of MLB’s Collective Bargaining Agreement expiring, which happens on Wednesday.