I'm done with Plouffe!!!

[Riverbrian]

Not trying to start a negative thread but I'm letting everyone know that I'm done with Trevor Plouffe.

 

Not sliding at home tonight was the final straw. I hung on for 323 Games but my fingernails just gave way.

 

I'm moving on and will support Kevin Correia at 3B if the only other option.

[Halsey Hall]

Welcome to my world.

[Guest USAFChief]

 

I'm moving on and will support Kevin Correia at 3B if the only other option.

Extend him now, while still cheap?

 

In all seriousness, I go back to my days at BYTO in defending Plouffe. I look more like an idiot with every passing day, poor AB, and lackadas...lacka...halfhearted effort.

 

In short, I'm with ya. Bring on Sano. stat.

[Highabove]

Isn't Plouffe the only remaining member of the Fun Bunch?

[Bark's Lounge]

Plouffe's time has expired starting the end of this season. I fully expect that Escobar will be our opening day 3B. Hopefully Sano can break into this role post June 2014 - you might as well keep him under control as long as possible. Unless TR blows my ****ing mind and makes some high octane free agent signings - next season is toast anyways. We'll see what happens, but my spirits are pretty low on that becoming reality.

[Chance]

Sano hit 2 more home runs tonight. Even if he only bats .230 his first season, while he adjusts to the ML, he could still hit for power and add a spark. I'm ready, come February, to give him a honest chance to make the team. Unfortunately for me, what I'm ready to do has no correlation with what the Twins are ready to do (most of the time).

[Don't Feed the Greed Guy]

My winter nightmare: Plouffe and Parmelee open the 2014 season as our corner infielders...

[jorgenswest]

Maybe they will get a look at Romero when Rochester is done.

[Alex]

Sano hit 2 more home runs tonight. Even if he only bats .230 his first season, while he adjusts to the ML, he could still hit for power and add a spark. I'm ready, come February, to give him a honest chance to make the team. Unfortunately for me, what I'm ready to do has no correlation with what the Twins are ready to do (most of the time).

 

 

No reason for him to start with the big league club next year. None.

[Oxtung]

My winter nightmare: Plouffe and Parmelee open the 2014 season as our corner infielders...

 

What a coincidence. My winter nightmare is Morneau and Sano manning the corners next May!

[howieramone1406390264]

No reason for him to start with the big league club next year. None.

 

If he wins the job in spring training, he wins the job. I agree with the other poster, if he hits .230 with his power we're good to go. I believe Seth posted some time ago, his defense is somewhat better than Plouffe's. If he is ready, there is nothing to wait for.

[jokin]

If he wins the job in spring training, he wins the job. I agree with the other poster, if he hits .230 with his power we're good to go. I believe Seth posted some time ago, his defense is somewhat better than Plouffe's. If (Sano) is ready, there is nothing to wait for.

 

Except more years of team control and multi-million$ saved by utilizing a Wil Myers-style June call-up instead, especially in a predestined lost year, anyways.

[Alex]

If he wins the job in spring training, he wins the job. I agree with the other poster, if he hits .230 with his power we're good to go. I believe Seth posted some time ago, his defense is somewhat better than Plouffe's. If he is ready, there is nothing to wait for.

 

I admit I was exaggerating a bit and knew someone would use this argument. I thought by now, especially after the last two seasons, we've had enough evidence that a good or even great spring training really doesn't show whether a player is ready for the lineup or not. Off the top of my head:

 

2012: Parmelee, Dozier, Jeff Gray

2013: Hicks, Ramirez

 

Three of those players were called up from AA or nearly so at the time. In the Twins situation, there's no reason to call him up to start the season even if he would be the best starting 3B. Next year looks like another rebuilding season and there's no reason to start his MLB clock in meaningless games or risk that he might not be ready as they did with Hicks (though I think Sano has a better chance of success).

[stringer bell]

I don't think Trevor can win me back now. The power is too sporadic and nothing else is quality. I don't despise Plouffe, and I think he could be a productive player, but I don't think it is going to happen with the Twins.

[Chance]

The problem with so many people thinking we can compete in 2015 when all the prospects are up is, they will all need time to adjust to the majors. Why not stagger there development a bit so you don't have your 1-5 batters try to work through some struggles and end up having to send them down. Who would back them up?

 

A few things about Sano's service time starting at the start of next season:

1. The Twins might see some things that need working out in the minors that weren't apparent in the minors (Parm can't hit a fastball in the majors but crushes in AAA)

2. You don't want all the prospects clocks starting at the same time, anyway.

3. Many of the prospects, especially Sano, should get a huge contract to keep them here long term before their clock is up.

 

These are just my thoughts and ideas. I'm not saying they are right but just that that is what I would do.

[MichiganTwins]

Might as well put Dozier at 1b he had the most power on the team. And he will be able to scoop that ball that no ones business.

[Alex]

The problem with so many people thinking we can compete in 2015 when all the prospects are up is, they will all need time to adjust to the majors. Why not stagger there development a bit so you don't have your 1-5 batters try to work through some struggles and end up having to send them down. Who would back them up?

 

A few things about Sano's service time starting at the start of next season:

1. The Twins might see some things that need working out in the minors that weren't apparent in the minors (Parm can't hit a fastball in the majors but crushes in AAA)

2. You don't want all the prospects clocks starting at the same time, anyway.

3. Many of the prospects, especially Sano, should get a huge contract to keep them here long term before their clock is up.

 

These are just my thoughts and ideas. I'm not saying they are right but just that that is what I would do.

 

Not clear what you would do? Start him right away next year?

 

1. Yes, but they can do that just as easily after calling him up in June.

2. I don't think anyone besides Sano will be up in June, though Buxton is a possibility. I'd guess he's more likely a September call-up 2014. At most it might be 2-3 players, and it's debatable whether that will impact the Twins financially in a negative way -- and if it does, that's pretty far down the road.

3. There's plenty of time to work this kind of deal out, though that would be the smart thing to do once he shows he is has superstar potential.

 

All of the things you mention are true regardless of whether you call him up in April or June, imo. To look at it another way, I don't see anything gained by calling him up in April unless the Twins are competing for a division and he's definitely the best choice. Neither of those is true.

 

What's frustrating to me is to see a team like Tampa continually make good, smart business and baseball moves that aren't any big secret while the Twins seem lost in a fog and there is difficulty finding rhyme or reason to some of theirs. Not all of Tampa Bay's moves work out, but very rarely are they head scratchers when made and their logical reasons for doing so are readily apparent.

[Joe A. Preusser]

Not to excuse the many shortcomings of Plouffe, but on that particular play at the plate it did look like Mastro did one heck of a poor job communicating that a slide was necessary. Couple that with an absolutely amazing throw by their CF, and it's kind of hard to fault Plouffe. On that play.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Plouffe likely has the rest of this year and about 1/3 to 1/2 of next season to prove himself. Otherwise, he's going to the utility infielder with some pop off the bench role.

[TwinsThompson]

I don't think Trevor can win me back now. The power is too sporadic and nothing else is quality. I don't despise Plouffe, and I think he could be a productive player, but I don't think it is going to happen with the Twins.

 

Sporadic power - yes, nothing else is quality - yes, could be a productive player......maybe? He can't really hit with any consistency, strikes out too much, and is a liability in the field. I would say he really only has a shot at being a bench bat somewhere, but that is pretty iffy too. He probably belongs in AAA.

[Brandon]

Romero could start next season in the majors while Sano starts in AAA. He deserves an opportunity. Plouffe hasn't hit for power in a while. His average and on base skills are terrible. I am ready for a change too. Where did you go Valencia.....just kiddin.

[Chance]

Not clear what you would do? Start him right away next year?

 

1. Yes, but they can do that just as easily after calling him up in June.

2. I don't think anyone besides Sano will be up in June, though Buxton is a possibility. I'd guess he's more likely a September call-up 2014. At most it might be 2-3 players, and it's debatable whether that will impact the Twins financially in a negative way -- and if it does, that's pretty far down the road.

3. There's plenty of time to work this kind of deal out, though that would be the smart thing to do once he shows he is has superstar potential.

 

All of the things you mention are true regardless of whether you call him up in April or June, imo. To look at it another way, I don't see anything gained by calling him up in April unless the Twins are competing for a division and he's definitely the best choice. Neither of those is true.

 

What's frustrating to me is to see a team like Tampa continually make good, smart business and baseball moves that aren't any big secret while the Twins seem lost in a fog and there is difficulty finding rhyme or reason to some of theirs. Not all of Tampa Bay's moves work out, but very rarely are they head scratchers when made and their logical reasons for doing so are readily apparent.

 

 

You make some good points. I agree it doesn't make a difference if its the start of season or June. So I'm on board with waiting.

 

Also, I meant prospects like Rosario, Pinto, And Meyer which could all be June as well. Pinto may be sooner than that now.

[Winston Smith]

Even with the world's greatest manager and baseballs best coaches he isn't getting any better, actually getting worse. Without a 2 1/2 week 10 hr blitz last year how bad would his overall numbers really be? If he wasn't a gold glove type fielder.....

He's making Tony Batista look good.

[Guest USAFChief]

Not to excuse the many shortcomings of Plouffe, but on that particular play at the plate it did look like Mastro did one heck of a poor job communicating that a slide was necessary. Couple that with an absolutely amazing throw by their CF, and it's kind of hard to fault Plouffe. On that play.

I mostly agree. With Plouffe though, for me it was just another small data point in a torrent of mostly negative data points that has me to the point of giving up hope.

 

I also think a major league player should have enough sense of time and place that sliding in that situation should be the default action. He's probably still out, but it seemed to me he was almost surprised there was a play at the plate, and that to me is just a lack of focus that really shouldn't happen as often as it seems to.

 

As diehard notes, he probably has a couple months of starting at third to turn it around and prove me wrong yet again, but at this point I'd be fine with the Twins deciding to move on, be that today or next June.

[Alex]

Plouffe isn't the only person not to slide this season. And though I don't want to take the blame completely off him, it does seem like some things are getting missed in the coaching process.

[TheLeviathan]

For the record, I've always been down on Plouffe, but I think he can become a functional bench player. He kills left handed pitching, so he could be used pretty usefully that way.

 

But to be fair to Plouffe - our expectations were too high. His minor league numbers are not overly impressive and if you take out that several week binge he had last year his numbers are pedestrian at best. Frankly, I don't think he's that far off from what a more realistic expectation would have been.

 

His defense and decision-making....well that's another story.

[jorgenswest]

At over 1000 plate appearances, Plouffe is at about the same point as Valencia when the Twins released him. At this point the Twins should have a pretty good idea of his value.

 

His role should be a platoon corner OF or IF. Unfortunately he is on the wrong side of the platoon and these guys have lost their place in baseball with the 12 man pitching staffs. Some teams find a way to do it.

 

If the Twins want to get the most value out of his skills, he platoons in a corner next year. I would like to see Willingham at DH and a Plouffe/Parmelee platoon at one of the corners.

 

They can play Romero at 3B and give Sano some time to play in AAA while preserving valuable service time.

 

The Twins should understand the value they have in Plouffe. Will they utilize him in a role where he brings value to the team?

[stringer bell]

OK, let's remember Plouffe was OPSing pretty close to .800 sometime in June IIRC. He has been basically godawful since. A lot of guys aren't hitting this year (is pitching getting better?), but Plouffe has fallen from middle of the pack to well below normal. If the Twins had the guy who was playing third for the first 2+ months, there wouldn't be an uproar. As I said earlier, I don't see it happening here. Plouffe had a chance to sew up a position this year (so did Dozier, so did Parm) and hasn't done it. I doubt Romero would be any better overall, and he's not on the 40-man and I doubt he'll be added this offseason.

[diehardtwinsfan]

I'm not terribly high on Romero. I remember liking him in rookie ball, but he has been utterly disappointing since then. His resurgence in Rochester is nice, but he's not exactly dominating it either. I don't have too much of an issue giving him a look, but I would much rather see guys like Parmelee and Plouffe get shots over him. There's far more potential there in my opinion, even if they turn out to be duds.

[kab21]

Plouffe has been just awful for 2 months and I think his time as a starter is coming to an end. A 3Bman that can play MI does have a place on a roster if he's only a LHP'ing masher. He replaces the 2nd futility IF'er that the team loves to carry when it doesn't have 3 catchers.

 

Of course he will probably have a 10 HR September now.