The Philadelphia Phillies need help in center field if they’re going to make a real push at the trade deadline. It’s been their most glaring weakness all season.
Problem is, finding the right guy won’t be easy. The Phillies will have to get creative since the market doesn’t have many obvious solutions.
Byron Buxton keeps coming up in conversations, and for good reason. He’s one of the premier center fielders in baseball when healthy. But the Minnesota Twins aren’t exactly shopping him around.
“We have no plans to trade Byron,” Twins GM Jeremy Zoll told MLB.com Tuesday. “It’s not something we’re exploring. It’s not something we plan to explore.”
That sounds pretty definitive, but let’s be honest – things change quickly at the deadline.
If Buxton approaches Minnesota’s front office and says he’s open to a trade, that conversation shifts entirely. Players have leverage in these situations, especially ones with Buxton’s talent.
There’s also the possibility Philadelphia makes an offer the Twins can’t refuse. Every player has a price, even ones the front office claims aren’t available.
The way I see it, the Phillies have the prospect capital to make a serious push if they really want Buxton. It comes down to whether they’re willing to pay what Minnesota would demand – and whether the Twins change their stance as July approaches.
