Veteran infielder Trevor Plouffe, who’d been with the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate, asked for and was granted his release by the organization, the team told reporters (Twitter link via MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan).
Plouffe, 31, opened the Triple-A season by going 3-for-11 with a homer, a double and six walks in 17 plate appearances — good for a .273/.529/.636 slash in that tiny four-game sample. The longtime Twins third baseman struggled in Spring Training with the Rangers and agreed to head to their Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock to open the season, though clearly his stay there will be short-lived.
A former first-round pick of the Twins (20th overall, 2004), Plouffe was a bit of a late bloomer but eventually rose to the Majors and claimed Minnesota’s starting third base job as a 26-year-old back in 2012. From 2012-16, Plouffe hit .250/.311/.423 and averaged 17 homers and 124 games played per season with the Twins. While his glovework at the hot corner was initially questionable, he eventually posted solid UZR and DRS marks with the Twins in 2014-15. His 2016 season — Plouffe’s last as a Twin — was marred by a series of intercostal and oblique injuries that limited him to 84 games.
Plouffe split the 2017 season between the A’s and Rays, struggling at each stop and hitting just .198/.272/.318 in a combined 313 plate appearances. Given that showing and his injury-plagued 2016 season, it seems likely that Plouffe will need to find another minor league opportunity elsewhere — perhaps one with a clearer path to the Majors than he had in Texas, where Adrian Beltre and Joey Gallo are locked in at the infield corners. At his best, Plouffe has been a thorn in the side of left-handed pitching (.263/.346/.469 during that ’12-’16 stretch) who is capable of handing either corner infield slot.
The Rangers are so bad this year it’s embarrassing.
I’m a lifelong Rangers fan, I’ve been to hundreds of games and never lived within an 8 hour drive of DFW. I went to every playoff game in 10’, 11’, 15’, & 16’, including their road playoff games in 15’ & 16’. I’ve been to Spring Training numerous times. Now, I can’t even find a reason to waste my time or money on going to a single game.
The Rangers we’re terrible in 17’, I embraced it and showed my fandom by supporting the team still. This offseason, JD did absolutely nothing to improve an already terrible team. Elvis is wasting his prime years with us and Adrian is closing out a HoF career. Why would either want to stay with the ownership and JD refusing to make a valiant effort to improve this team? Better yet, why should I spend my money on this team and travel expenses if the Front Office fails us?
I feel your pain but I’m staying with ’em because that’s where my heart is. It’s hard.
dodgers???
He must have an inkling someone wants him on a ML roster.
A lot to hope for considering he couldn’t hit his own weight last season.
I’d be surprised if any team is chomping at the bit to add Plouffe to their major league roster. The best he can hope for is to fill in for a 3B who needs an understudy while he’s on the 10-day DL, and then it’s DFA city again.
Reds could really use him right now
The Yankees would make sense. They have injuries and a lack of production at both corners. Might be worth a flyer.
Pirates could use some power off the bench.