"My family loves it here" - Star OF Byron Buxton cites key reason he doesn't want to leave the Twins
Presently, Byron Buxton is under contract with the Minnesota Twins until 2029, when he will become an unrestricted free agent. He would be 35 years old then, which is retirement age for some athletes but not all. If he continues playing beyond that, it seems like he has no desire to wear a different uniform.
Buxton specifically mentioned Joe Mauer, who spent his entire career in the Twin Cities, and Torii Hunter, who spent 12 of 19 big-league seasons with the franchise. Those two had a major impact on how Buxton feels. His family does, too.
He said in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda:
"Yeah. There was a reason they wanted to stay here for the time that they did. For me, it was ‘What was that reason?' And it was more than just me loving being here and loving playing here and putting the Twins uniform on."
Buxton continued, specifying that his family plays a big role in his thought process for things like this:
"My family loves it here as well. If you’re comfortable and your family loves it, too, that plays a big part in how I raise my kids and my wife raises our kids. It’s a little bit bigger than just myself and baseball now."
The city of Minnesota matters a lot to the outfielder and his family, wife and kids, are an important consideration for what he wants to do in his career. They are all comfortable in the city, so Buxton does not want to leave if he doesn't have to.
Byron Buxton struggling to open 2024 season
Byron Buxton, when healthy, has largely been an excellent player in his career. The outfielder has often been ravaged by injuries, but he's a rare talent when he's able to get on the field. That reality has, thus far, not shown itself in 2024.
Buxton is hitting at a 66 wRC+ rate right now, well below league average. His .217 batting average is not great, either. A .580 OPS is not a number anyone wants next to their name.
He has been fine defensively this season, providing one defensive run saved in center field.