Report: Buxton, Berrios, Kepler rejected long-term deals from Twins
The Minnesota Twins' attempt to lock up their young core this winter was unsuccessful.
The club reportedly made an effort to sign Byron Buxton, Jose Berrios, and Max Kepler to long-term deals during the offseason but all offers were turned down, sources told Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.
Both Buxton and Kepler are first-year arbitration eligible this winter, while Berrios starts arbitration the following offseason.
| Player | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buxton | $580K | A1 | A2 | A3 | FA | |
| Kepler | $587.5K | A1 | A2 | A3 | A4 | FA |
| Berrios | $570K | A1 | A2 | A3 | FA |
The Twins have plenty of financial flexibility moving forward. They have $128.7 million committed this season, but with Joe Mauer, Lance Lynn, Brian Dozier, Eduardo Escobar, and Zach Duke all hitting free agency this winter, the club has just $38.95 million in guaranteed salaries for 2019.
Buxton, Berrios, and Kepler are all coming off career years and are all under 25 years old.