Article: Plouffe's Failure Leads To Transformation

[Cody Christie]

In the summer of 2004, the Twins were in the midst of a run for their third straight AL Central crown. The sudden success on the field meant the club was in the routine of drafting later rather than earlier in the first round of baseball's amateur draft. That June the team focused on shortstop and a scrawny high schooler would be their first pick.

 

Trevor Plouffe grew up in Southern California and was committed to the University of Southern California before the Twins came calling. He was listed as 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds but those might have been a little exaggerated if you look at this photo from shortly after he was drafted.Baseball America wrote this scouting report about Plouffe as he entered the draft. "He has a wiry frame, soft hands and fluid middle-infield actions in the mold of Robin Yount." They went on to say, "His range and arm strength are a notch below Matt Bush, the nation's top prep shortstop, but Plouffe may be a better hitter. He has a flatter swing path and the wrist action needed to drive balls."

 

This prediction would turn out to be true as Bush and two other high school shortstops were taken before Plouffe in that draft. The aforementioned Bush was the first overall pick but he never made the big leagues and ended up serving prison time. Chris Nelson is a bench player who has accumulated a negative WAR over five seasons. Stephen Drew is the only one of the group with a higher WAR than Plouffe and he's played almost twice as many big league games.

 

After being drafted by Minnesota, Plouffe moved through the system while being younger than the competition at every level. In his minor league career, he hit .258/.320/.405 (.725 OPS) while never hitting more than 15 home runs at any level. He made it to Triple-A by age 22 and would make his big league debut at the age of 24.

 

There were plenty of struggles for Plouffe in his first taste of the big leagues. From 2010-2011, he hit .226/.286/.382 (.668 OPS) with 30 extra-base hits in over 360 plate appearances. He also struck out in 26% of his at-bats. His defense at shortstop was also rough, to say the least. According to defensive runs saved, he cost the Twins 14 runs in 2011 alone.

 

Something needed to change.

 

In the winter of 2012, the Twins decided to move Plouffe away from shortstop and shift him to the outfield. The club hoped the move would spark Plouffe much like it did for another first-round pick, Michael Cuddyer. However, he would only play 17 games there that season because Danny Valencia struggled at the plate and Minnesota needed someone for third base. Plouffe had found a new home.

 

Flash-forward to the present day and Plouffe is now the second-longest tenured Twins player behind Joe Mauer. He has nestled himself nicely into a solid everyday regular with improved defense at third base while topping 20 home runs in two of the last four seasons. He also went on one of the most impressive home run tears in team history when he hit 10 home runs in a 14 game stretch during the 2012 campaign.

 

In recent years, there has been rumblings about the possibility of Plouffe being traded to make room for star prospect Miguel Sano. Those rumors never came to fruition and Plouffe's strong defense at third means Sano will play in the outfield this coming season. Plouffe is under team control for the 2016 and 2017 seasons but that still doesn't mean the Twins won't consider moving him over the next handful of years.

 

Minnesota surprised a lot of teams by contending in 2015 even while some of their young prospects were still trying to figure out baseball's highest level. Many feel the Twins will come back to the pack this season. If the Twins are out of the race in mid-July, Plouffe will likely hear his name on the trading block once again and it could make sense to deal him if the price is right.

 

Plouffe has been part of some tough seasons in Minnesota with multiple 90-loss seasons marking the last handful of years. He has transformed from a first-round pick to a failed shortstop to an above average MLB regular.

 

Minnesota stayed the course with Plouffe and it has paid off on the field and in the clubhouse.

 

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[EddieMatthews]

I have come to accept Plouffe at 3B.  He strikes out too much and had 28 GIDP last year to top off his season.  HIs power and RBI stats make him acceptable.  However, I don't believe the Twins can make the next level with a majority of players who strike out more than 20% of their at bats.  The Twins miss to many opportunities to move runners.

[Halsey Hall]

Still a big thumbs down on him. 

[h2oface]

Accepting Plouffe as a worthy leader of this team is like accepting the pitching staff. The Ryan collection of league average (where even Mauer now resides) bolstered with hopes of all having a breakout year all at once. Hey.... it could happen.

Edited March 22, 2016 by h2oface

[Blackjack]

I never have understood why Plouffe stayed at shortstop thru his whole minor league career but when he hits the majors THEN they decide he can't play shortstop. Baffling.

[alarp33]

 

I never have understood why Plouffe stayed at shortstop thru his whole minor league career but when he hits the majors THEN they decide he can't play shortstop. Baffling.

 

Because Shortstops are more valuable than 3rd baseman?  There is plenty to rip the Twins about, I'm failing to see anything wrong with keeping a guy at SS for as long as possible, before ultimately deciding its not going to work.  

[REPETE]

Plouffe's 2012 season sums up my relationship with him perfectly.  About the 12th game of that 14 game streak, I thought "maybe I can love this guy.", and I dared to give up my heart.  A couple weeks later, he broke up with me.  His explanation?  "It's not you, it's me".  I thought we were done for good.  

 

Then, every year, he'll go on a streak, and I'll get interested in him again.  There will be a few flings, a few drunken one night stands, and some mornings where I think "he's finally changed", only to then watch him strike out or hit into a DP in a key situation, and my heart was broken once again..  
 

After all these years of heartache, I must've gotten wiser.  Trevor and I can never be more than "just friends".  When he does well, I'll be happy for him, but when he inevitably screws up, well...  same old Trevor.  

[Blackjack]

 

Because Shortstops are more valuable than 3rd baseman?  There is plenty to rip the Twins about, I'm failing to see anything wrong with keeping a guy at SS for as long as possible, before ultimately deciding its not going to work.  

But if he doesn't have the arm to play shortstop why not get him moved to a different position and get some experience at a lower level? Instead of watching his struggles at the big league level, where games REALLY count??

[alarp33]

 

But if he doesn't have the arm to play shortstop why not get him moved to a different position and get some experience at a lower level? Instead of watching his struggles at the big league level, where games REALLY count??

 

Because they obviously held onto the hope he could play SS, so they left him there. Players move from SS to 3B all of the time, its really not some huge adjustment that needs to be worked on at lower levels of the minor leagues. 

[h2oface]

 

Because they obviously held onto the hope he could play SS, so they left him there. Players move from SS to 3B all of the time, its really not some huge adjustment that needs to be worked on at lower levels of the minor leagues. 

 

And there it is. Paralyzed by hope. That is the problem exactly. Over and over and over and over again. Failing to have the wisdom and courage to make the decision sooner so the player can develop at the position they can play in the majors while in the minors, as it should be. I can understand when a veteran like Mauer has a position switch after years in the show, but all this failing to identify the prospects while they are prospects is hurting the team. The young players, like Plouffe, become a liability in the field for years (being the acceptable third baseman in the field he is now didn't happen over night, eh?) as they hone skills that could have been honed during the 7 years (ok.... maybe less sometimes) the Twins took to develop them. Identification is a great skill. 

Edited March 22, 2016 by h2oface

[REPETE]

 

And there it is. Paralyzed by hope. That is the problem exactly. Over and over and over and over again. Failing to have the wisdom and courage to make the decision sooner so the player can develop at the position they can play in the majors while in the minors, as it should be. I can understand when a veteran like Mauer has a position switch after years in the show, but all this failing to identify the prospects while they are prospects is hurting the team. The young players, like Plouffe, become a liability in the field for years (being the acceptable third baseman in the field he is now didn't happen over night, eh?) as they hone skills that could have been honed during the 7 years (ok.... maybe less sometimes) the Twins took to develop them. Identification is a great skill. 

I wonder if this phenomenon is limited to the Twins, or if other clubs go through this, too.  It does happen to guys that put the extra work in, they can develop into good defensive players.  Sure, sometimes they just don't have the ability at this level, but sometimes it takes a trip to the show before these guys realize they can't live on raw talent to stick in the Majors.

[d-mac]

 

I don't quite understand all of this angst about Plouffe. He's a plus defender with some power.  You could see him starting on a championship team hitting 6th or 7th. The issue with the Twins is that he has to hit 4th or 5th because only have one middle of the order hitter in Sano. The issue isn't that Plouffe hasn't met reasonable expectations; he has. The problem is that he can't meet the unreasonable expectation of hitting in the middle of the lineup because he isn't good enough. He's a guy we should keep unless we can trade him for a quality major league player at a position of need. For the Twins that's either and outfielder who can hit 4th, a decent MLB starting pitcher or a top 25 pitching prospect. The free agent market tells us that a better than average but not elite 3rd baseman like Plouffe doesn't have that kind of value. We really had no choice but to keep him and there's no reason to trade him unless we can get real value.      

 

Exactly. Plouffe has averaged 3 wins the last two seasons. The problem is 3rd base is historically LOADED. Some of the best all around players in the AL are at 3rd. 10 years ago this was probably the opposite.   

[jimbo92107]

 

Plouffe's 2012 season sums up my relationship with him perfectly.  About the 12th game of that 14 game streak, I thought "maybe I can love this guy.", and I dared to give up my heart.  A couple weeks later, he broke up with me.  His explanation?  "It's not you, it's me".  I thought we were done for good.  

 

Then, every year, he'll go on a streak, and I'll get interested in him again.  There will be a few flings, a few drunken one night stands, and some mornings where I think "he's finally changed", only to then watch him strike out or hit into a DP in a key situation, and my heart was broken once again..  
 

After all these years of heartache, I must've gotten wiser.  Trevor and I can never be more than "just friends".  When he does well, I'll be happy for him, but when he inevitably screws up, well...  same old Trevor.  

 

My god, I think you just wrote Adele's next hit song!!!!!!!!

[jimmer]

There were 28 third basemen that had 400 or more PAs last year.  Plouffe was tied for 15th in WAR. 2014 there were 31 third basemen that had 400 or more PAs last year.  Plouffe was tied for 9th.  

 

And he was 2nd (to Dozier) for the Twins in WAR in each of the last two seasons in regards to non-pitchers.

 

He's a good player.  Not a stud, but a good player.  We have way more problems than him.