Article: The Twins Most Overlooked Cornerstone

[Ted Schwerzler]

In a season where the Minnesota Twins have outperformed expectations at a rather surprising rate, there's been plenty to get excited about. Outside of the results on the diamond, Minnesota has watched top prospects Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano make their big league debuts. Brian Dozier continues to be the best second basemen in all of baseball, and Paul Molitor has the home nine looking like a contender again.In the midst of all of that, the Twins have another cornerstone piece who has flown under the radar while on the verge of stardom.

 

Currently holding down the hot corner, Trevor Plouffe has entered into the next tier for Minnesota. Rather than being seen as just a guy on the 25-man roster, it's time to give Plouffe his due. Consistently producing now, and developing over the last three seasons, Minnesota has a legitimate star in the making at third.

 

After being a failed shortstop, Plouffe made the transition to his new position. With 2012 being his first full-time season at third, Plouffe took his lumps and earned a -8 DRS (defensive runs saved) mark. Year by year, the results have improved. In 2013, Plouffe pushed his DRS to 0, in 2014 it was +6, and this season he's on pace for +7 defensive runs saved. On top of making plays, his UZR (ultimate zone rating) has seen substantial improvement as well. Starting at -10.8 in 2012, it was pushed to -7.4 in 2013, +6.7 last season, and is on pace for a +7.9 mark this year.

 

It was always his fielding that was more obvious as an issue, but Plouffe's stick has been impressive as he's aged, as well. A torrid stretch in the 2012 summer allowed Plouffe to hit a career high 24 home runs, but his 55 RBI and .235/.301/.455 slash line left something to be desired. Since that point, he's made consistent improvements at the dish.

 

Staying steady in both 2013 and 2014 with 14 home runs, Plouffe pushed his RBI career high to 80 last season. An increase in walks (53 in 2014 as opposed to 34 in 2013) pushed his OBP to a career high .328 a season ago. On the whole, however it is in 2015 that Plouffe is putting it together. Thanks to a .312/.381/.570 stretch through the month May, Plouffe owns a .253/.315/.451 line on the season. He's on pace for 23 HR along with 94 RBIs and 41 doubles, which would also be a new career high.

 

After being worth just 0.5 fWAR in 2012, a season in which he was a home run or bust threat, and 0.3 fWAR in 2013, his arrow has trended straight up. Last season, Plouffe owned a 3.6 fWAR mark, which was good enough for fourth in the American League among third basemen. Trailing just Josh Donaldson, Manny Machado, and Kyle Seager in 2015, Plouffe's 2.5 fWAR has him on pace for a final tally of 4.5 fWAR.

 

Signed to a one-year, $4.8 million arbitration deal this season, Plouffe is under team control until 2018. While some are OK either way with how the Twins handle his contract situation, extending and paying Trevor Plouffe is something you'd be hard pressed not to get behind. As it stands, Plouffe is knocking on the door of stardom and is one of the best third basemen in the big leagues.

 

At the end of the day, the Twins are going to need more than a piece here and there to return to the times of being perennial division champs. Having exciting young pieces is a great thing, but Trevor Plouffe should no longer be overlooked. He's the real deal.

 

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[eLee612]

And he looks like a real-life TC bear... How could you not endorse that?!

[stringer bell]

It is fairly easy to understand why Plouffe is overlooked. He isn't on any leaderboards, he hasn't been an All-Star and since his home run explosion in 2012, there has been gradual evolution towards a complete all-around game.

 

As I said last year, a team with nine Brian Doziers would be formidable. Likewise a team with nine Trevor Plouffe's would be pretty good, too.  Tom Kelly once commented that once a player reaches a stage where the manager and coaching staff don't have to watch them all the time, it makes it a lot easier for the manager. I think Plouffe has reached that plateau. Put him at third, in the middle of the lineup and let him play. It is refreshing because even as recently as last year, it seemed Plouffe would not make that transition, but now he seemingly has. 

Edited July 25, 2015 by stringer bell

[Cap'n Piranha]

I like Trevor, and he's a valuable piece, but I have to point out that his 2012 slash line which you said "left something to be desired", is barely worse than his current slash. The BA is only .018 lower (which equates to 1 more hit every 12 to 13 games), the OBP is only .014 lower (1 more time on base every 15 to 16 games), and a lower SLG. His glove is vastly improved, but his bat is fairly stagnant.

[Boone]

Trevor Plouffe has certainly become one of the better--and most underrated--3rd basemen in the league.  Great to see that the Twins' patience paid off.

 

However, despite Plouffe's current importance, I have to wonder how he fits into our long-term plans: hopefully Sano will be ready to take over at 3rd base next season, with Arcia or Vargas replacing him at DH.

 

If the above scenario plays out, then Plouffe would have to move to outfield--where the Twins have tons of young talent--or to 1st base, where we have an unmovable asset in Joe Mauer.  

 

While Plouffe has been a great Twin for several years, the youth movement could make him expendable as early as this offseason.  Therefore, we must ask ourselves this question: should we shop Trevor Plouffe before the deadline?  Trading him for longterm assets would certainly rankle many fans--including maybe myself--but could be the smart decision.  Or the Twins could work themselves in on a 3 team trade, receiving a shortstop or catcher in return.

[TheLeviathan]

I struggle to call him a cornerstone because of his age.  

 

I'm not in a hurry to deal him, but I think this offseason could be an important time to see what's out there.

[USAFChief]

Plouffe made it all the way through the minor leagues as a SS. It's not a big surprise, IMO, to see him become a good defensive third baseman.

 

Maintaining a decent stick was always the bigger question, and he seems to have plateaued at a very respectable level.

 

A good, every day MLB player, one that I would take offers on this winter because of Sano.

[Linus]

Umm...he's hardly overlooked. He's a good player and well liked because of his pleasant personality and all the improvement he has made presumably through lots of hard work.

 

However, I really don't think he is a "great" player. You can't attach that label to either his fielding or hitting - both are a solid good, which is valuable because 3rd base seems to be a bit of a black hole currently in the majors.

[Willihammer]

He's on pace for 4.5 Wins and it shows. With the exception of the broken arm (no lingering effects evidently) he has been healthy and productive for quite a while now. An extension? For the right price, I think you have to consider buying out 1-2 FA  years. He's a bit old but the health record is a point in his favor.

[ashbury]

He could be valuable as a final piece to a contending team lacking a solid 3B or a prospect they expect to move right in. However, I don't notice any NL teams fitting that description, and I don't want to think about trading with AL rivals. Bad luck for the moment, maybe things change in the off-season.

[Danchat]

The Twins either got to lock him up with an extension or trade him for something nice. You can't just let him walk into free agency.

 

The big question is Sano. We need Sano to be in the lineup every single day, but could he be the long-term DH or would he be a good 3B? 

 

It's going to become an interesting situation...

[Vanimal46]

Plouffe has done well to continue his progression as a well rounded 3B. I would want him back next season and see who wins the job in ST between him and Sano. Or if he can be a trade chip to shore up either SS or C, even better. When it comes to extending his contract beyond 2016, please don't do it.

[jimmer]

 

I like Trevor, and he's a valuable piece, but I have to point out that his 2012 slash line which you said "left something to be desired", is barely worse than his current slash. The BA is only .018 lower (which equates to 1 more hit every 12 to 13 games), the OBP is only .014 lower (1 more time on base every 15 to 16 games), and a lower SLG. His glove is vastly improved, but his bat is fairly stagnant.

And offenses across the league have been in a steady decline (in part due to the ever expanding called strike zone). Even if his numbers this year were exactly the same as 2012, his numbers would be more impressive this year than in 2012.

 

And BTW, when comparing 2012 and 2015, his 2015 BA is 25 points higher, his OBP is 18 points higher, and his slg% is and his slg% is 11 points higher.  Almost a 30 point increase in overall OPS. That's not stagnation. That's a good improvement as offensive production across the league is declining.

 

Plouffe's wRC+ in 2012 was 105, this year it's 118.  Quite an improvement.

Edited July 25, 2015 by jimmer

[Brock Beauchamp]

The Twins either got to lock him up with an extension or trade him for something nice. You can't just let him walk into free agency.

I don't understand why people consider letting a FA walk some kind of horrible disaster.

 

In some circumstances, it makes sense to use the player during his prime, get value from him, and walk away. This is especially true if you're a contender and that player helps you to the playoffs multiple times and you have a ready successor in place.

 

I wouldn't make a habit of letting guys walk (try to at least get a comp pick when possible) but in some cases, it makes sense.

 

Is Plouffe that guy? I don't know. That depends on Sano as much as it does Plouffe. Only time will tell.

[SwainZag]

I think the Twins are in a great place with Plouffe.  With 2 years of arbitration left and with Sano on the roster, they have the liberty of again offering him a 1 year deal or taking the arbitration number if they aren't satisfied with an off-season trade offer.  I'm sure Trevor wants a long term deal, but he still makes $5M+ next year regardless and an extra year of control is mighty handy in trade talks.

[Danchat]

 

I don't understand why people consider letting a FA walk some kind of horrible disaster.

In some circumstances, it makes sense to use the player during his prime, get value from him, and walk away. This is especially true if you're a contender and that player helps you to the playoffs multiple times and you have a ready successor in place.

I wouldn't make a habit of letting guys walk (try to at least get a comp pick when possible) but in some cases, it makes sense.

Is Plouffe that guy? I don't know. That depends on Sano as much as it does Plouffe. Only time will tell.

I didn't consider the possibility of giving him a qualifying offer if he walks into free agency. I suppose he'd decline it and we could get a 1st round pick for compensation.

[jimbo92107]

Trevor Plouffe is another Twins player that took the long road to success. Like Brian Dozier, and now like Aaron Hicks, it's taken time for Plouffe to gradually refine and polish his game, but all that effort and all those repetitions are finally paying off with a fully mature ballplayer. When I see players like this that changed positions or had to bounce up and down from AAA a few times, it reminds me that baseball isn't a game that many people can master in a couple years. It also gives me hope for a guy like Danny Santana, whose issues do look like a matter of further refinement, rather than a lack of talent.

[jimmer]

Dozier spent 3 seasons in the minors before he was promoted.  Brought to the majors to play a position he could't play, like Plouffe.  The system missed the mark on both of them.  But he bounced back quickly when moved to 2B and that was that. Twins had to decide between former 1st round pick Plouffe and Luke Hughes when both were out of options.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

The Twins either got to lock him up with an extension or trade him for something nice. You can't just let him walk into free agency.

 

The big question is Sano. We need Sano to be in the lineup every single day, but could he be the long-term DH or would he be a good 3B? 

 

It's going to become an interesting situation...

 

I really think Sano is being wasted as a DH.  I'm not saying that he's better than Plouffe defensively, but I think that Sano at 3B with Arcia or Vargas at DH >>>> Ploufe at 3B and Sano at DH.  I don't think that this will necessarily happen in 2016, but for 2017 and beyond I think that is the right choice, and the only want to let it play out is for those guys to be playing every day in MLB.  Add to it the value you'll get trading Plouffe and I think it's a no brainer.

 

Like others, I think you have to listen for offers this offseason.  I'd be looking at a catcher or a SS.  I think Plouffe could bring one of those home.

[hybridbear]

 

Plouffe made it all the way through the minor leagues as a SS. It's not a big surprise, IMO, to see him become a good defensive third baseman.

Could he go back to SS? Then you could put Sano at 3B and that would fix the SS problem.

[adorduan]

 

Could he go back to SS? Then you could put Sano at 3B and that would fix the SS problem.

No

[hybridbear]

 

adorduan, on 25 Jul 2015 - 11:28 PM, said:

No

Why?

[DaveW]

Why?

Because if he could play SS he would have any of these last several years when we had no real internal options.

[ashbury]

Why?

For one thing, his lack of speed on the basepaths suggests to me that he lacks the quickness to play short at the major league level.

[Loosey]

I don't think you trade or let good players walk for nothing.  What is the problem with having two really good third basemen?  As long as you can find a way to have them both play regularly I call that a win. Lock Plouffe up, he is top 8 at least at his position and Sano we know can hit.  If he ends up being a good fielder he will most likely be one of the best as well.  They can each play 1st base I assume.  So between DH, 3B and 1B you can play Plouffe and Sano every day if you want to and keep Mauer in there too. 

[jimmer]

 

For one thing, his lack of speed on the basepaths suggests to me that he lacks the quickness to play short at the major league level.

cough, Hardy almost his whole career, cough :-)

 

But I agree Plouffe has no business playing shortstop with us.  He couldn't do it when he was younger, no reason to think he could now.  Not sure there is a real reason one would even try not that he's gotten so much better at 3B.