Trevor Plouffes worth?

[High heat]

I look around the league at the 3Bs and there are a lot of weak ones. With Sano on the horizon what kind of value does Trevor have? He has 2 yrs remaining of arbitration eligibility, he has hit well and has turned into a solid defender. Can you trade him this yr and get a top notch pitching or catching prospect? Thoughts

[dxpavelka]

Have you been watching the last 2 weeks and seeing our lineup struggle with his bat struggling, much less playing elsewhere?  You can NEVER have too much hitting.  Trading away your cleanup hitter will only leave more holes in the lineup.  Put Sano at 3B and let Plouffe continue to get 5 starts a week rotating between the 2 corner infield & outfield & DH spots.

[Mike Sixel]

I would not trade him. He's a top 10 3B (imo) and I'd rather Sano play DH or 1B, or move Plouffe to 1B and have them take turns at DH.

 

IF, IF, IF, you can get a catcher you are SURE can be in the top 15 or so, for many years to come, then sure, deal him.......good luck finding that catcher.

[nicksaviking]

I'd prefer to see a half season of how a possible Sano/Plouffe dynamic might work.  However, if the Twins get a pretty sweet offer, I'd move him without regret. 

 

He's always been streaky, and his current slide supports that.  I think he's better relied on as a solid supporting piece and not a conrnerstone player.

[DaveW]

The twins FINALLY have a legit 3rd baseman after years and years and years of Bautista, dizzy Koskie , Juan Castro, Harris, Buscher, Punto, Crede etc

 

Unless someone offers you the moon, you don't trade Plouffe yet. The odds are Sano won't stick at 3B (which is fine)

 

Just because it looks like you have depth it doesn't mean you do, it just takes one injury, failure etc to obliterate that depth (see; Ramos for Capps trade)

[diehardtwinsfan]

The soonest he's traded is in the offseason, and that's probably if Sano can prove he's ready.  I don't think that has happened yet. 

[Vanimal46]

I don't think the Twins would get the value they need to pull the trigger on a Plouffe deal during this season. I'm all for offering him arbitration this offseason, and watch the battle between Sano vs. Plouffe at 3rd base for the first couple months of 2016.

[jimbo92107]

The Twins don't have anybody else right now that plays 3rd base as well as Plouffe, although Escobar and Nunez aren't chopped liver. If Sano comes up, I predict Plouffe will stay at third base at least 4 games out of five, with Sano DH'ing, working with Glynn on his footwork, and trying his hand at 3rd maybe one day of five, or maybe just one in ten.

 

I also see Sano playing 1st eventually, but not until after at least a month of reps with the trainers. Outfield...eh, not so much.

[Linus]

I like and appreciate Plouffe but the love is a little over the top I would not trade him until I was confident Sano can stick but once I decided that I would trade him in a heartbeat for a catcher

[Rosterman]

As said, still have two more years of arbitration. The question is: Is Plouffe worth $9 million in 2017? Or can we sign him now for a 3-4 year reasonable deal and worry about finding places for Arcia, Sano and Vargas in the lineup, not to mention Walker and Kepler. And who is then the third baseman of 2918 or 2019...Blakenhorn by chance?

 

Plouffe has value to the Twins, but how much value vs. what will someone offer in trade. You hate to let him walk at some point as a free agent, but you also must be rpepared for that final year arbitration salary.