Article: What to do with Trevor Plouffe?

[cmathewson]

First, Plouffe should get rid of his locked front knee batting stance. Sure, it gets his weight back, but it also limits the flexibility of his lower half when adjusting to pitches. Second, he's stale here, and needs to go to the Orioles or something. They seem to fix a lot of broken Twins. Or the Pirates, Seattle, or Colorado, or Arizona. Frankly, the Twins have a few guys in AA and AAA that could step in and do as well as Plouffe hitting, while being much better utility infielders. Cheaper guys. No reason not to give them a shot. Heck, just bring up Levi Micheal and throw him in at 3rd. Would that be any worse?

 

Yes. Much worse. .500 OPS. Never played the position. Still in single A. Dumb idea. You'd go from 1.4 WAR to - 4 WAR, a net less of 5.4 WAR.

 

I could get behind giving Romero a limited try until Sano is ready. If it wasn't for his Visa issue, he'd probably be a September call-up.

[Badsmerf]

Why is everyone so die-hard that Plouffe has terrible defense? His dWAR is .1, which is pretty much average. His defensive metrics are all slightly below average, but not too far off. Some of you are suggesting that he is Tony Batista out there, which isn't true at all.

 

I'm not a huge fan of defensive metrics, but I'm also not a fan of people over-exaggerating to the point of stupidity. He is an average defensive 3b.

 

All that aside, he is still destined for a utility type role in 2014. He might even hit enough between now and when Sano is ready that justifies a permanent spot somewhere other than 3b. A lot of factors will come into play. I don't think anyone is ready to just dump him like Valencia since he can play multiple positions. The next 50 games for Plouffe are going to be very important towards his career.

[ThePuck]

 

I'm not a huge fan of defensive metrics, but I'm also not a fan of people over-exaggerating to the point of stupidity. He is an average defensive 3b.

 

 

Plouffe has a -6.9 UZR at 3B. That's bad. Not Miguel Cabrera bad, but it's bad. Most of the people rated below him are either huge (Panda), playing injured (Zimmerman who is usually good), old (Young) or playing out of place because their bats (Cabrera). Just because there are players at 3B currently doing worse, doesn't make him any less terrible at 3B. You wanna say it's over-exaggerating, that's your OPINION. Calling other people's opinions over-exaggerating to the point of STUPIDITY just because you disagree is something frowned upon on this site.

[ashbury]

The salary and skillset say to me that he might be more valuable to another team than to the Twins. If two or more teams would be a fit, thus a small bit of competition for his services, maybe he could draw enough in trade to have it make sense for both teams. As we like to say, include Duensing if need be to sweeten the deal for someone with higher ceiling but less certainty to make it to the majors.

[DJL44]

A "corner utility" player can be pretty valuable to have on the bench. Look at the career of Eric Hinske for example. The Twins did well with Michael Cuddyer sliding to whichever position was needed that week. I still wonder what Casey Blake could have done for the team. It would be great if Plouffe could fill in where needed at the corners. As a starter you're looking to replace him but he's a fair sight better than what a team can typically call up from AAA.

[Badsmerf]

Plouffe has a -6.9 UZR at 3B. That's bad. Not Miguel Cabrera bad, but it's bad. Most of the people rated below him are either huge (Panda), playing injured (Zimmerman who is usually good), old (Young) or playing out of place because their bats (Cabrera). Just because there are players at 3B currently doing worse, doesn't make him any less terrible at 3B. You wanna say it's over-exaggerating, that's your OPINION. Calling other people's opinions over-exaggerating to the point of STUPIDITY just because you disagree is something frowned upon on this site.

 

How about we have a little context? Is stupid now a bad word that we aren't aloud to use? Wow dude. I guess we need to use kid gloves when posting on this site now.

[ThePuck]

How about we have a little context? Is stupid now a bad word that we aren't aloud to use? Wow dude. I guess we need to use kid gloves when posting on this site now.

 

That's a question for the moderators, certainly posts nowhere near as offensive as calling a group of people's opinion stupid have been given warnings or been outright deleted.

[cmathewson]

Why is everyone so die-hard that Plouffe has terrible defense? His dWAR is .1, which is pretty much average. His defensive metrics are all slightly below average, but not too far off. Some of you are suggesting that he is Tony Batista out there, which isn't true at all.

 

I'm not a huge fan of defensive metrics, but I'm also not a fan of people over-exaggerating to the point of stupidity. He is an average defensive 3b.

 

All that aside, he is still destined for a utility type role in 2014. He might even hit enough between now and when Sano is ready that justifies a permanent spot somewhere other than 3b. A lot of factors will come into play. I don't think anyone is ready to just dump him like Valencia since he can play multiple positions. The next 50 games for Plouffe are going to be very important towards his career.

 

I didn't mean to imply that he is terrible. But he will never be a plus defender in the infield because he has a slow first step. So his bat must carry him. And it didn't as much as many of us (me included) thought it would this year. With Sano looming large in his rear-view mirror, he needed a breakout year this year to solidify his position. He had a mediocre year. So other positions are in his immediate future. To me the outfield is the most likely.

[Badsmerf]

That's a question for the moderators, certainly posts nowhere near as offensive as calling a group of people's opinion stupid have been given warnings or been outright deleted.

 

You are misinterpreting the context in which I used the word "stupidity." If this is so offensive to be deleted I think we have some bigger issues.

 

stu·pid·i·ty

st(y)o͞oˈpiditē/

noun

 

• 1.
  behavior that shows a lack of good sense or judgment.
   
   
   
   
   
  

 

[snepp]

Let's get back on topic, the self-policing and the squabbling can stop right about....meow. Lest the hammer be brandished.

 

 

Continue.

[stringer bell]

I don't trust defensive metrics either. I have seen a lot of Plouffe at third in the last two years and he has some things going for him defensively, but has never looked totally comfortable and at ease there. Third basemen need to hit for a better than a .700 OPS, especially guys that play below average "D" and provide nothing in baserunning etc.

[ashbury]

...and provide nothing in baserunning etc.

 

Yeah, I can't believe a guy his age (playing other than first base or catcher) routinely getting pinch-run for. On at least one occasion I recall by a guy we nicknamed Gramps.