Through no doing of their own, the Philadelphia Phillies may have moved slightly closer Sunday toward pursuing a premium center fielder who has become a frequent headline in trade rumors as of late.
Ken Rosenthal and Dan Hayes of The Athletic reported that the Minnesota Twins and Byron Buxton remain unable to reach an agreement on a contract extension, with the center fielder countering an incentive-laden seven-year, $73 million deal before the Twins upped it to $80 million, still not near what Buxton’s camp seeks.
With the trade deadline just five days away and the Twins sitting in last place in the American League Central, it’s possible that in the absence of an extension, the club could pivot and deal Buxton.