TODAY: Plouffe could earn a $1.75MM salary with up to $300K in incentive pay if he can crack the MLB roster, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). Texas has announced the agreement.
YESTERDAY: The Rangers are in agreement on a minor-league deal with third baseman Trevor Plouffe, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic initially tweeted that there was an agreement, but shortly thereafter issued a correction in a subsequent tweet, saying the sides were in discussions.
Plouffe, now 31, had a run as a regular at the hot corner with the Twins and posted some productive campaigns over the years. Everything went wrong for him, though, in a trying 2017 season.
This time last year, Plouffe was preparing for what he hoped would be a bounceback, one-year run with the Athletics, who had signed him for $5.25MM after a less-than-stellar 2016 effort. But Plouffe lasted only 58 games in Oakland and hit even worse after moving to the Rays in the middle of the season. He ended the year with an ugly .198/.272/.318 slash line over 313 total MLB plate appearances.
Prior to that forgettable campaign, Plouffe had only ever played for the Twins. Over seven seasons, he produced right at the league average at the plate. At his best, in 2014-15, Plouffe played at a solid all-around level and profiled as a quality everyday player.
It seems reasonable to expect that the Rangers will give Plouffe a shot at earning a roster spot in camp, but he’ll certainly be competing for a reserve role. Plouffe will likely do battle with players such as Jurickson Profar and Ryan Rua over the next several weeks. While the Rangers are set at third with veteran Adrian Beltre, and remain poised to give the bulk of the time at first to Joey Gallo, there could still be a fair bit of playing time open to be claimed. In particular, Beltre is likely to require some regular rest.
I don’t think he was ever an everyday player, despite his good season in 2014-2015, his bat leaves something to be desired
He was quite full time from 12-15. But he was just an average player. Very Moustakas like. Makes one wonder how Moustakas expected to get a 5/80 deal. He received some very poor advice. Should have taken the QO when it was there. Mike may have to take a minor league deal just to get a job. Good job Boras!!
Yes one now must question the economic sensibility (or lack of!) in hiring Boras these days. Years of deceptive advertising about his clients is finally creating a healthy dose of skepticism and hesitancy among his clients’ suitors.
I agree that Scott Boras’s style does not fly in this new market. Is there one team that gave his client a massive contract that does not regret it?
The funny thing is that the ARod contract would have worked out in its original form. Had he never opted out with the Yankees and played out the original deal, he would have turned in a productive year in every year of the contract.
Plouffe is a pretty good club guy too.
Interesting how Lawrie, Lackey, AJ Ellis, Valencia, Escobar, Drew, Jhonny Peralta, Ethier, Melky, Werth, Gomez, Arrieta, Ubaldo still don’t have jobs. This is like an all-annoying all-star team. This might be MLB going “You know what? No. You smell.” Then they form an indie ball team called the Las Vegas Jerks and make more money than they ever would have in MLB.
Also, haven’t really thought of this angle on the slow offseason yet: if there’s too many MLB quality players out there who currently can’t get jobs, maybe there should be more teams?
Vegas is ready, Charlotte probably is too.
I don’t think the problem here is that everyone is so overwhelmed with legitimate MLB quality talent
Darvish only got 21 million a year, but the fact that there weren’t multiple teams trying to get him at that price when he has probably 4 great years left, is really surprising to me. I don’t know what the issue is. Some guys are asking for too much, but Darvish for 6 years at about 20 million a year is a bargain for a pitcher of his caliber.
The penalties for going over the salary cap are real.
Only $21 million? He should be happy to get that. Darvish is good but not great. Add in all the incentives and that’s a hell of a lot for a guy who only plays every five days.
Darvish isn’t the same pitcher after his injury. He’s good but not otherworldly. That’s why his price went down. I think its fair value.
The incentives are based on Cy Young voting. If he gets any of his incentives the Cubs will be happy to pay.
Darvish is already in decline, not to mention a playoffs loser.
Oakland says Bruce Maxwell > Jonathan Lucroy, lol no.
There’s a mountain of talent out there on the FA market and at AAA, not to mention worldwide. MLB could easily add a couple more, maybe even 4-6 more and not see any kind of talent dropoff.
If I remember correctly, AJ Ellis was always a great clubhouse guy
Except he was openly bragging about how Roberts was in his back pocket and Roberts heard him and immediately traded him.
He also used to brag that he was never getting traded, because he was Kershaw’s personal catcher. Think again, Age.
Wasn’t it Ellis who was Rosenthal’s inside source too? Don’t remember the exact details, but something about Puig.
Yes, he was ratting on Puig or even making up complete lies about him. Good riddance.
I thought the same thing, I believe he was referring to AJ Pierzinski
What’s wrong with the Melk man?
Cant imagine he will make too much. Not much more than minimum with incentives built in
No thanks….no need to water the product down even further. No thanks to expansion.
It would make more sense to get rid of two teams than add two at this point in time. There’s a few teams that are probably never going to compete in today’s game without MLB undergoing serious financial reform
It is time for two additional expansion teams. Many large markets want an MLB franchise and this is the best time to make that happen. The players would be all for it at this point as it would create a market for guys like Duda and Morrison.
Two more teams would also create tighter wild card races.
Expansion can’t come fast enough.
Adding 2 teams would probably mean going to 4 divisions (with 4 teams each) per league. Thus meaning you have 4 division leaders and no longer need a wild card.
He just did not work in Oakland… Good luck…
In regards to Darvish, it was the 6th year and that stupid opt out clause that scared away other teams, namely the Twinkies
COLLUSION
league average at his very best… total stiff now
A bit surprised he couldn’t find a better opportunity to earn a job out of camp. Texas is loaded in the infield. I would’ve imagined that he would have signed with the O’s. Marlins, Braves, maybe Colorado all could have presented him a higher chance to break camp.
Good insurance policy for the Rangers in case of a camp injury though.
He once was good. Today, … meh.
A good clubhouse guy probably, and an above-average defender, but certainly one of the very slowest runners in all of MLB.
What’s a good club house guy ? Is that a player that’s does laundry,chase’s for Starbucks,and answers players fan mail LOL
It’s the opposite of Ian Kinsler.
Yes but Kinsler can rake !
Kinsler’s teammates loved him in Texas. He still sees Andrus, Michael Young and others all the time according to him and the others.
It’s a good personality easily melded with others
Dang! there goes the Twins plan B for the offseason.
I was hoping the Twins would make a big splash and bring him back. Maybe give Sano to the Yankees for a bag of balls.
Mark my words- you will see a Rangers fire sale at the trade deadline. This team has too many valuable pieces combined with some serious holes. They wont contend in 2018 and will be the big sellers at the deadline.
Considering the Cubs opening day starter is likely to be Tyler Chadwood I would venture the Cubs will be in on Cole Hammels.
after signing his deal he immediately swung and missed at another low and away slider
Haha. Are the Rangers just looking to fill a spot? Plouffe was never great, maybe good for a short time, but now is irrelevant. If you are taking players off the Rays junk pile, you are hurting. (Written by a Rays fan)
So my prediction came true: Profar isn’t traded and Stanton is traded to someone other than the Giants or Cardinals