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5 hours ago
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The New York Mets have only one spot in the lineup that truly looks like a question mark at this point in the season.
So far, the Mets have used five players in center field, and none have locked down the starting job. Jose Siri has been injured for several weeks now, and Tyrone Taylor, who has done a decent job for the last two years, is best served as a backup.
In a stacked National League playoff picture, the Mets could certainly consider going after a bigger star in center field between now and the July trade deadline. However, it's not looking as though the market will be flush with options.
That's why if one former Platinum Glover becomes available, the Mets would be wise to pounce.
On Monday, ESPN's Buster Olney named Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton as a potential trade candidate, which should be music to the Mets' ears as they look for positions to upgrade ahead of the Jul. 31 deadline.
"(The Twins) could dangle Byron Buxton, their dynamic and oft-injured center fielder, into the trade conversations. Buxton is healthy and playing well, and he's under contract for the next three seasons at $15.1 million per year," Olney wrote.
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The injury caveat Olney mentions shouldn't be overlooked. Buxton has only played over 100 games twice in his career--140 way back in 2017, when he won his Platinum Glove, and 102 last season.
However, he's played 38 of the Twins' 41 games this year, and he's looked like a superstar. Not only is he still an elite center fielder (two outs above average, 87th percentile fielding run value), but he's got nine home runs and a 127 OPS+.
The $100 million contract Buxton signed with the Twins hasn't always looked like a bargain. But his current salary would be a drop in the bucket for the Mets, with the potential to be incredible value if he stays healthy.
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