What should the Twins do about Byron Buxton? Ideas, impatience and some sympathy

We asked what the Twins should do about Byron Buxton's struggles and more than 300 of you responded. Some demanded a trade, a demotion or more time on the injured list. Others had a more nuanced approach, and the pain that some fans feel about Buxton's situation came through in their words.

A few things to note as you read the replies:

*Players with more than five years of experience can't be sent to the minor leagues without their consent. So Buxton would have to agree to a demotion.

*Buxton has a no-trade clause in his contract through the 2026 season. In other words, he would need to sign off on a deal — and his injury history doesn't make him a desirable target for another team. His contract with the Twins runs through 2028.

*After two days off, Buxton returned to the lineup in Thursday's 5-0 loss to Seattle. He went hitless in four at-bats, extending his slump to 1-for-35 since July 5.

*Here are the terms of Buxton's contract and his career statistics.

And here are your responses, some of which have been edited for length and clarity:

I know this is not a guy thing, but have 'Falvine' thought about talking to him? He is someone who is not doing well (failing, basically) at his job. How is this handled in other workplaces? There is often an employee assistance program. Perhaps start with a physical examination and then a meeting with a sports psychologist. And as many meetings as necessary. Of course, Buxton needs to take responsibility for his poor performance (time to put ego aside) and be willing to accept (what would elsewhere be called) coaching and counseling. And perhaps consult with a respected baseball person about his actual hitting, someone well outside the Twins organization who has, unlike the Twins hitting coaches, no vested interest and who can offer a neutral perspective. If that doesn't work, well, do what other employers do, cut him loose. — Catherine Benson

Bench him, Jorge Polanco is coming back, and Edouard Julien is on fire. Matt Wallner was just called up. Buxton isn't in the field. He's the designated hitter, and he isn't hitting. — Blake Woolery

Keep him. He is a good hitter and is a great base stealer. — Wanda Solberg

Bench him. As much as he is a likable person, the team is in a pennant race and having a big salary will not buy him hits. — Joe Stuntebeck

Buxton on the Injured List for the rest of the season, or at least he is healthy enough to play center field — Gary Eichten

It's a crime that the fastest man in baseball has never been able to bunt. Get Rod Carew to teach Byron the art of the bunt. This will improve Byron's OBP and his confidence and actually make him an asset to the team. — Ray Tahnk-Johnson

'I do not see a happy player.'

As someone looking in from the outside it is hard to discern the root of the problem. I keep wondering how good is that knee? Is this now a chronic condition, or is there reason to believe limiting stress on his knee this year will pay dividends over the next few seasons? What I personally tend to believe is Buxton never really embraced the idea of DH. That his attitude about DH has soured as the season has progressed and he is still not playing CF. I do not see a happy player, and that has to be having impact on his bat discipline and confidence at the plate. — Thomas Flinn

Give him another day or two off. (The Twins scored 10 runs Tuesday night without him.) Then move him down in the lineup, maybe to sixth. Continue to give him an occasional day off each week until he starts to hit. — Bob Wennerstrom

The answer is obvious. He should be a late-inning defensive replacement, or a late-inning pinch runner to steal bases. He has proven over his career that he is not a consistent major league hitter. If he is in the lineup, hit him ninth. — Sheldon R. Anderson

Perhaps Byron needs a Jorge Lopez-like mental health break, and then a rehab assignment. Gradually work this dedicated and talented person back into the lineup in order to give him a chance to find himself. — Charlie Bacon

Work on his swing, emphasis contact, stop trying to pull everything, less focus on hitting homeruns. (This advice coming from a sub .200 little league hitter.) — Peter Glanville

'It makes me sad'

Byron was my favorite player forever. It makes me sad to see the player he has become. At least, hopefully, temporarily. Please put him back in center field. Sitting on the bench for the majority of the game is not helping the situation. He needs to do what he was born to do, which is play center field. — Lu Nordstrom

Trade him. As DH he has not contributed to the team at a level commensurate with his pay. I fault the team some for poor management of his talent but whatever the causes it's time to move on. Michael A. Taylor, Willi Castro and Nick Gordon are all capable center fielders who have each shown flashes of greatness. — Brenda Rotherham

Release him and re-sign Miguel Sanó — Bruce Schultz

The Twins bet on Sanó and Buxton on wishful thinking. Buxton has proven he can not sustain a whole season of productivity. Signing him to the kind of contract is foolish. Bud Grant always indicated availability to play is the foremost consideration for a player. Playing Buxton at the DH position should keep him in the lineup, but he has never proven he can hit consistently for an entire season due to injuries. Maybe he would be best served as a pinch hitter and runner and a sparingly used utility outfielder. — Vernon Bolte

Byron Buxton may have a vision problem. The first thing they need to do is get his eyes checked. Barring that, his major problem Is that he has become "pull happy". His head is in the third base dugout on every missed swing. They need to work with him in batting practice doing nothing but hitting the ball to the right of second base. His bat will always be quick enough to pull the ball. Right now he needs to work on nothing but making contact and keeping his head down. — Bill Marshall

Let the man play center field where he belongs. He will be happier and maybe that will get his bat going. The whole "protection" experiment has been a disaster and didn't protect him from anything. They just stole a season from someone who is in his prime playing years — Linda Bailey

'Fire the guy who gave him this contract'

Put him in center field and let him be a part of the game rather than letting him sit on the bench looking at his iPad after each strikeout. — Ron Hoekstra

Byron Buxton is a BASEBALL PLAYER not some guy who can sit around watching a game and then get into it as a designated hitter! Let him play ball and be who he is and you will see he is a great baseball player not a baseball "watcher"! If you want to treat him like he's made of glass he'll soon play like he's made of glass. Please don't waste this guy's career because you're afraid he might get hurt! — Bob Lambert

Let Julian try the designated hitter role once Polanco returns. Apparently Buxton refuses to change his approach at the plate. Winning trumps playing a guy who contributes virtually nothing and seems unwilling or unable to make adjustments. — Oscar Baum

He's proving he can't DH. Nelson Cruz already proved it takes a unique individual. Sit him down like anyone else until he's a complete ballplayer. — Pete Ruliffson

'No value offensively'

There is an old saying about generals fighting the last war, not the current one. The Twins Brain Trust built a team designed for 2019, not 2023. Buxton is the centerpiece of that failed experiment. He is like the proverbial canary in the mine shaft warning us of bigger problems. It will take new management and a different hitting philosophy to reconstruct a failed swing. The Brain Trust can't do it and won't. I feel sorry for Buxton caught in the middle of all this. He has always seemed a likable and team-centered player. — Ralph Brauer

I thought the Twins were going to put him in the outfield here and there. I'm sure he was expecting that, too. I fully support putting him in the outfield so he can regain confidence and contribute in another way, which may positively impact his at-bats. Yes, he's an injury risk. But aren't they all? He's been hit by a pitch — injured. Strained hip while running the bases —- injured. Give the guy a chance to play the game he loves. If he's injured, he's not playing. If he's being sat, he's not playing. Let him play! — Angela McGregor

Because of his knee issue they should first determine if it's healthy enough to use his lower half to effectively hit. If not he should go on the IL for a period of time and then go on a rehab assignment to see where he's at. If they believe he's healthy enough now, at the very least, he should be at the bottom of the batting order to take some pressure off. Long term, he's not a DH and if Buxton can't play the outfield he has very little use to the Twins, and his contract was a huge mistake. — Gary Christiansen

If the knee is that problematic, put him on the 60-day IL and move on without him. If not, hire a hitting coach that can help him and the rest of the lineup. — Ed Miska

'Eight years to right the ship'

"Durability trumps ability" was a motto emphasized by Bud Grant, the legendary Hall of Fame coach for the Minnesota Vikings. Dump him and move on. — James Hartert

Buxton needs to be traded. He seems totally disengaged here in Minnesota. Let him take the rest of the year to rest his knee and see if he can be recharged with some new scenery. His contract is not huge, so maybe he is tradable for a couple of low-level prospects. He's a drag on this team and it would appear this organization is a drag on him. It's time for change for both of them. — Mark Colbenson

I believe the Twins need to get full value out of Buxton. That means he needs to play the field. I understand everyone's health concerns but his full value is producing runs at the plate and saving runs in the field. If he isn't hitting he still has defensive value, and that also opens up a spot in lineup for a productive hitter. — Brian Mathiowetz

Treat him like any other non-performing employee. Assign him to retraining, terminate him, or reorganize him to a lesser position. He is definitely hurting the brand, business, and fellow employees by his performance. Also question his supervisors/managers for their culpability in his performance. — Randall Meyer

The ushers at Target Field see him every home game and, believe me, we could straighten him out! Send him down to our break room before the next home game and our staff will be happy to help him get his swing back. And it's not that far back to the Twins clubhouse! — Dennis Moore