Seriously, what do we do with Plouffe once Sano gets called up?

[kydoty]

Plouffe has turned himself into a very good corner infielder, in both hitting and fielding, far past I think most people's expectations considering where he was just a couple of years ago. 

 

The problem however is that we've been grooming his successor for years and he is on the verge of taking over, whether it be later this season or next season. 

 

So...where are we going to put him?

 

Corner outfield?  Well, one of those spots will be taken by Rosario for years to come.  Hunter probably won't be around after this season, so one spot will be open.  I like to think that they don't want Arcia out there any more than they need to as he is an incredible liability out there, so if you move Plouffe, I would say that corner OF is the most likely route.

 

All the other infield spots are taken long term.  As much as it dismays some of the critics, Joe Mauer isn't going anywhere.  It's not a realistic option, even if the front office wanted to move him, which they don't. 

 

I guess you could put Plouffe or Sano at DH, but we're going to have a hug logjam there very soon anyway with the possibility of Arcia, Vargas or Sano (three guys who have big bats but are terrible defensively) at DH.

 

And then you got the final option, which is to trade him.  Obviously, any player is tradable at the right price.  But I'd hate to lose a guy like Plouffe who has excelled far past what was expected out of him and is now just becoming a big asset for us. 

 

Good problems to have obviously.  Just don't want to make the wrong decision here. 

[Mike Sixel]

Put Sano at DH, or in RF (if he was working on that now, in the minors).

 

I don't get the same feeling others do, that they should be so quick to deal Plouffe, or even move him off of 3B. He's very good at his job, I am not interested in them moving him from that job. This isn't deference to a veteran, imo, this is about keeping a really good player at what he does well.

[blairpaul715]

Plouffe would be worth alot with how he has played defensively and offensively the last 1 yr and half, so if he keeps this up, he could return a piece that is missing for the future, like a catcher........catcher is our true weak position on this team, other than bullpen, and we can build that from within, IMO................Not advocating trading Plouffe, we have him for 2 more yrs, if we want him, and we might be able to win in that time frame.

[drjim]

Plouffe is just fine where he is.

[gunnarthor]

Generally, the Twins aren't afraid to promote from AA but I wonder if the Twins won't kick Sano to AAA and put him in a corner OF for a bit before coming up here (all this assumes he keeps hitting like he has in May).

 

In any event, when the team starts bringing up talent - be it Sano or Buxton, Santana or Milone - those guys will be replacing lesser players and they won't be replacing guys like Plouffe.  The guys losing at-bats or innings will be Robinson, Vargas, Schafer etc

[Linus]

The problem with moving Plouffe to the outfield is that he has to learn another position (again) and will likely be an average at best fielder (he may not even be that).  His value as an above average 3rd baseman is considerably higher, so you trade him to fill a different area of weakness.

 

Now, I would not do this unless and until I am completely comfortable with the idea that Sano is going to be a third baseman, or at least he is going to be given that chance.

[Dantes929]

Would Sano and Danny Santana or maybe Nick Gordon  get Carlos Correea?   Houston looks like they could use a third baseman.    I would rather keep Plouffe and have an uber prospect at short than uber prospect at 3rd with Santana at short, much as I like Sanana.   Lindor or Russel might also be attractive. 

[Shane Wahl]

For quite awhile around here there has been a lot of talk about moving Plouffe to another position, even when the Twins show zero indication of doing anything like that other than having Plouffe be another option at first base. He isn't going to move, he will be moved, and I actually really like the potential return. With David Wright having his issues, I wonder if the Mets would trade Plawecki for Plouffe in some kind of deal.

[drivlikejehu]

I don't think the Twins have enough quality starting players to get rid of one.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Would Sano and Danny Santana or maybe Nick Gordon  get Carlos Correea?   Houston looks like they could use a third baseman.    I would rather keep Plouffe and have an uber prospect at short than uber prospect at 3rd with Santana at short, much as I like Sanana.   Lindor or Russel might also be attractive. 

 

no chance. I don't know if a number 1 overall prospect has ever been traded.*

 

*I'm sure someone will correct me

[TheLeviathan]

I don't think the Twins have enough quality starting players to get rid of one.

How about swapping him for quality elsewhere. I don't think anyone is suggesting he be given away for a handful of magic beans.

 

I'd DH Sano when he comes up.

[blairpaul715]

 

Would Sano and Danny Santana or maybe Nick Gordon  get Carlos Correea?   Houston looks like they could use a third baseman.    I would rather keep Plouffe and have an uber prospect at short than uber prospect at 3rd with Santana at short, much as I like Sanana.   Lindor or Russel might also be attractive. 

Houston has 2 good 3rd basemen prospects(Moran, Davis) in their system, and really none other than Correa at SS , altho they could pick one in this yrs draft................but would you trade Buxton for Sano if Sano didnt play for us??? I dont think so............................And Gordon is probably about the same prospect status as Houstons 2, 3rd base prospects. But i like these kind of ideas, but I am shooting this one down

[DaveW]

I think the odds of Sano being even close to equally as good defensively as Plouffe in 2015 at 3B is nil, and even in the future the odds aren't that great.

This isn't fantasy baseball, so frankly the best defensive guys should be in the field at any given time. I think Sano is going to have enough on his plate facing Major league pitching, so he should be fine for a year or two as a DH (with the idea of giving him a spot start at 3B or 1B once a week or so)

 

I don't get why everyone is so ready to get rid of young productive players who play premium positions? A year ago it was argued that Dozier should be traded since it was known that Rosario could instantly fill in for him.  It isn't even known if Sano can handle 3B in the majors, and until we know that for a fact, I'm not willing to move Plouffe (who is 9th in the MLB in offensive WAR) either in a trade or positionally.

 

When we are DHing guys like Nunez/Escobar, and have guys like Schafer/Hicks etc getting at bats by the truckload, I think we can figure out a way to find Sano at bats. We have always known that the majority of Sano's value will come with his bat anyways, so I don't think we need to make sure he absolutely has a spot ready for him at 3B.

 

 

[gunnarthor]

 

Would Sano and Danny Santana or maybe Nick Gordon  get Carlos Correea?   Houston looks like they could use a third baseman.    I would rather keep Plouffe and have an uber prospect at short than uber prospect at 3rd with Santana at short, much as I like Sanana.   Lindor or Russel might also be attractive. 

No, he's their Buxton.  

Sano and Santana would be pretty intriguing if you were Cleveland.  I think they'd do that but I'd be against it for the Twins.  

[DaveW]

Also lets put this notion of trading for Lindor, Russel etc to bed, it's not going to happen at this point.

Additionally there is next to a zero % chance the Twins trade Sano anytime soon, they put a lot of eggs in that basket several years ago when they signed him as a 16 year old. You just don't all of a sudden trade him because his primary position (maybe) could be blocked for a couple years.

[DaveW]

 

 

No, he's their Buxton.  

Sano and Santana would be pretty intriguing if you were Cleveland.  I think they'd do that but I'd be against it for the Twins.  

Santana doesn't really have any legit value at this point, his hitting is a mess (and it looks like his 2014 was fueled by luck) and his fielding at SS has already gotten him benched (for now).

There is no way Cleveland would do that trade anyways, and the Twins would be foolish in there own regards in shopping Sano before he ever takes a Major League at bat.

[Linus]

I definitely would not DH him.  The way guys get better in the field is if you run them out there and they work at it (see Plouffe, Trevor).  To DH him at this critical juncture of his career is to doom him to being a career DH and there is no way they want that.

[MileHighTwinsFan]

This is a next year problem at the earliest.   I don't see Sano up before September - he needs to play everyday at 3B and Plouffe is the better player right now - both offensively and especially defensively.  

 

While we would all like to see Sano with the big club sooner, I don't think it will happen before September unless Plouffe gets hurt or the team falls off the face of the earth and out of contention before then. 

 

The real question is what happens during the off season.   The team needs to make a decision and I don't think anyone should assume that Plouffe's days at 3B for the Twins are over.  

[drivlikejehu]

 

How about swapping him for quality elsewhere. I don't think anyone is suggesting he be given away for a handful of magic beans.

I'd DH Sano when he comes up.

 

Sounds good in theory, except that a contender won't want to trade one quality starter for another. The point is to get better, not rearrange deck chairs. And Plouffe's value to a non-contender is questionable since he only has 2 years left of team control and will get more expensive in arbitration (or in the process of avoiding it).

 

I haven't heard of a single trade idea involving Plouffe that made sense... I'm open to suggestions. 

[Vanimal46]

Plouffe will remain our starting 3rd baseman for the rest of this season. If and when Sano is called up, he will find his way into the lineup as a DH or spot starting at 3rd, 1st, or OF. Bring back Plouffe on arbitration, no long-term deal, and let's see what happens in 2016.

[amjgt]

Plouffe has, what, one more year of team control?

 

Assuming he continues to play well, offer him arbitration this coming off season. Let things play out next year with Sano, a potential position change, injuries etc. Then give him a QO after 2016, which he will probably turn down. 

 

If things have worked themselves out and you want him as part of your future, you make a fair multi-year offer. If having a $12-15M per year Plouffe is creating an unnecessary log-jam, then you watch him walk away and you pick up a 1st or 2nd round pick. 

[drjim]

Since he's compared to him often anyway, couldn't Sano follow a path similar to Miggy Cabrera? Broke in playing mostly corner OF for his first 3 years with some games at 3B, then moved to 3B full time in his 4th season for a couple seasons (and an ill advised return after Fielder was signed) and has since settled in at 1B. Seems like a potential path.

 

That scenario times out perfectly with Plouffe's remaining team control.

[drjim]

 

Plouffe has, what, one more year of team control?

 

Assuming he continues to play well, offer him arbitration this coming off season. Let things play out next year with Sano, a potential position change, injuries etc. Then give him a QO after 2016, which he will probably turn down. 

 

If things have worked themselves out and you want him as part of your future, you make a fair multi-year offer. If having a $12-15M per year Plouffe is creating an unnecessary log-jam, then you watch him walk away and you pick up a 1st or 2nd round pick. 

 

Plouffe has two more years after this one.

[amjgt]

 

Plouffe has two more years after this one.

 

Can we give back one of those years?

[DaveW]

 

I definitely would not DH him.  The way guys get better in the field is if you run them out there and they work at it (see Plouffe, Trevor).  To DH him at this critical juncture of his career is to doom him to being a career DH and there is no way they want that.

Sano is already 260 LB's and only 22, the reality of the situation is and always has been that even if he did play 3B in the majors it would likely:

 

A. Be only for a few years at most.

B. At best would be somewhere between mediocre and average at best.

 

Sano has a bat that can play anywhere, when you have that sort of upside/potential a team can easily find him a spot. Do you think the Red Sox worry that David Ortiz has never been an asset in the field?

 

Likely he won't be up til August anyways, at that point DHing him for a couple months isn't going to hurt him or the team (and you can always spot start him at 3B and 1B or even RF once a week or so if you want)

 

Next year you figure out if you want him in RF, 1B or 3B (If they can get equal value for Plouffe, which is unlikely IMO)

 

 

[DaveW]

 

 

Since he's compared to him often anyway, couldn't Sano follow a path similar to Miggy Cabrera? Broke in playing mostly corner OF for his first 3 years with some games at 3B, then moved to 3B full time in his 4th season for a couple seasons (and an ill advised return after Fielder was signed) and has since settled in at 1B. Seems like a potential path.

 

That scenario times out perfectly with Plouffe's remaining team control.

Yeah I don't see an issue there at all and I could see that working out well for Sano.

[jimbo92107]

Trevor Plouffe today is one of the better 3rd basemen in the league, and he got that way with a ton of hard work. Miguel Sano is uber talented as a hitter, but he's not nearly ready to replace Plouffe's glove at third.

 

When the time comes for the kids to take over (2016-17), I'd opt for a youth movement. Trade Plouffe and Mauer, bring up Sano, Polanco, Vargas, Buxton, etc. An infield of Sano, Polanco, Dozier and Vargas would be pretty potent, and an outfield of Rosario, Buxton and Hicks would also compete for several division titles.

[blairpaul715]

 

 

 

Next year you figure out if you want him in RF, 1B or 3B (If they can get equal value for Plouffe, which is unlikely IMO)

I think Plouffe's value is probably pretty good, especially with 2 plus yrs left of team control, and improved offense and defense.

[Mike Sixel]

 

I definitely would not DH him.  The way guys get better in the field is if you run them out there and they work at it (see Plouffe, Trevor).  To DH him at this critical juncture of his career is to doom him to being a career DH and there is no way they want that.

 

Why would that doom him FOREVER? He could DH this year, and practice in the field (at 3B, 1B, and RF), play once a week or so out there. If they are in contention, and they continue to DH Nunez.......that would be criminal.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Trevor Plouffe today is one of the better 3rd basemen in the league, and he got that way with a ton of hard work. Miguel Sano is uber talented as a hitter, but he's not nearly ready to replace Plouffe's glove at third.

 

When the time comes for the kids to take over (2016-17), I'd opt for a youth movement. Trade Plouffe and Mauer, bring up Sano, Polanco, Vargas, Buxton, etc. An infield of Sano, Polanco, Dozier and Vargas would be pretty potent, and an outfield of Rosario, Buxton and Hicks would also compete for several division titles.

 

Unless you eat his whole contract, you aren't trading Mauer for anything at all. He doesn't hit well at all anymore. No one is taking that contract, no one.

 

And, Kepler or Sano are your next 1B, not Vargas.