The Minnesota Twins made a major commitment to Byron Buxton prior to the lockout. He signed a seven year, $100 million extension with the team, cementing his place as the face of the franchise. If the Twins were are going to win, they will do so with Buxton on the diamond.
To do so, they needed to build around Buxton. They are starting to do exactly that as they brought in Carlos Correa after a pair of trades to free up some salary space. While the Twins are going to be relying upon their younger players, there is now another proven threat in the lineup.
Minnesota Twins backing up promise made to Byron Buxton
The Correa signing backs up a promise made when he signed that long term agreement. Part of getting Buxton to agree to that deal was to say that they were going to do everything possible to bring a winning team to Minnesota. Correa may be just one move, but it is one that speaks volumes.
There is still plenty of work to be done with the Twins. Any team that has Dylan Bundy as their projected second starter cannot be taken seriously as a contending team. The bullpen is also a major need, both this season and going forward.
This is something that the Twins recognize as well. They added Joe Smith on Saturday to provide another veteran arm to the relief corps. The Twins are also reportedly involved in trade talks with the A’s for Sean Manaea and/or Frankie Montas. Either of those arms would make a difference in their rotation as they look to return to prominence.
The Minnesota Twins promised Byron Buxton that they would build a winning team. Signing Carlos Correa is the first step in that direction.