Twins' top offseason objective is rediscovering Byron Buxton

The offseason presents several challenges for the Twins. They must decide on picking up options on Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler's contracts. A starting pitcher will be needed following the expected departure of Sonny Gray via free agency. They have other free agents and arbitration cases looming.

Job No. 1 this offseason: Deploy the search party for the real Byron Buxton.

The search began Oct. 13 when he underwent another surgery on his right knee at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. A source close to Buxton said on Friday that his knee already feels better than it did during the regular season. He hopes to be cleared for baseball-related activities in November.

It's a good start, because that wasn't Byron Buxton playing for the Twins in 2023 — it was some guy wearing No. 25 who attempted to be a designated hitter but batted .207 with 17 homers and a .731 OPS in 85 games. The Buxton we know had a .874 OPS from 2019-22. Buxton played in just 279 out of a possible 546 games during that time frame, but it sure was better than the guy wearing No. 25, who struggled mightily with a previously-repaired knee.

His final at-bat of the year on Oct. 11 told the story of his season. The Twins desperately fought for a tying run in their American League Division Series game against Houston. Trailing 3-2 in that inning, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli sent No. 25 out to pinch hit for Michael A. Taylor. A huge roar filled Target Field as he entered the on-deck circle.

"It's Buxton!" a fan sitting in the section in front of the press box yelled while pumping a fist. "Let's gooooo!"

Alas, it wasn't him. The rust was obvious as No. 25 popped out to first base. The Twins lost 3-2 and were knocked out of the postseason.

Keeping Buxton healthy has been an issue since 2017, but we all found out this year that he is not a DH. Both the Twins and Buxton believe his overall game thrives when his Platinum Glove-caliber defense and powerful arm are paired with his pop at the plate.

My comparison for Buxton has been Eric Davis. Not sure he'll get to 37 homers and 50 stolen bases like Davis did in 1987, but 30 homers and 25 steals to go with stellar defense is acceptable. That's why the Twins signed him to a seven-year, $100 million contract before the 2022 season. The 2019-22 version of Buxton would have made the 2023 Twins significantly more formidable — when on the field.

So surgery was the first step. Twins medical maven Dr. Chris Camp conducted the procedure. The Star Tribune reported that it was to treat fat pad syndrome irritation. A Twins official this week also referred to a plica cleanup in the area.

Let's cut through all the technical stuff (and don't Google some of this, because it reminded me of when I first looked up bilateral leg weakness).

There was scarring from the 2022 surgery that doctors believe led to the irritation Buxton battled with throughout the season. The plica and the fat pad are in the same area. Doctors were pleased to find that the surgery Buxton had last year is in good shape.

Buxton, the Twins hope, will be better off next season from being a year removed from the initial surgery and having the scarring addressed.

His injury history, however, can't be ignored. Once healthy, how much of a workload will he handle in the outfield? The Twins likely won't have Taylor as a fallback option, as prospect Austin Martin has impressed the Twins with his center field play and looms as Plan B.

The Twins are optimistic Buxton will fully recover but can't be certain of that until he can complete a rehabilitation program, then transition into a ramp-up program for spring training. Buxton flew home to Georgia on Tuesday for a three-to-six-week recovery. He will return to the Twin Cities in late November to meet with the medical and training staff. His knee will be assessed, and a workout is planned.

If the medical staff has done its part, then the training staff can help continue rehab and get Buxton ready for spring training. Then the coaching staff can get him right at the plate again.

Yes, Buxton still hasn't played 100 games in a season since 2017. Guess what? It's worse when he's hobbled and limited to DH. So let the Twins focus on getting him back to center field, where he's Byron Buxton and not some guy wearing No. 25. Then figure out how much he can play there later.