FanPost

Is it time to trade Trevor?

After initial high hopes going into the 2016 season, The Minnesota Twins have struggled through injuries and underwhelming performances across the roster. Even as fans still cling to any hopes they may have, the MLB trade deadline will be approaching sooner rather than later. There is little doubt the Twins front office will have to make tough decisions regarding the direction the team will head in. With few veteran players on the roster, most hope lies in the many promising young talents in the Twins system.

A trade chip that has been discussed often by fans is current Twins 3rd baseman Trevor Plouffe. Plouffe was the Twins first pick in the 2004 draft and has spent his entire career within the organization. After a couple seasons filling in various roles at the MLB level, Trevor became the teams everyday third baseman in 2012 and has since been often regarded as a league average third baseman.

Plouffe has brought some stability to third base for the Twins, who have used various players at the hot corner since the departure of Corey Koskie following the 2004 season. But the Twins now have multiple options for the position including Miguel Sano, Jorge Polonco, and Eduardo Nunez who is currently having a breakout year. The Twins also have an upcoming crop of talented middle infielders in the minor leagues who could man the position, or force a transition of another player to base if need be.

Plouffe, who has become a fan favorite during his time in Minnesota, has showed the makings of a somewhat efficient run producer for the Twins the over last couple seasons. After a promising start to this season, Trevor's bat has cooled off to his career average levels while also facing some nagging injuries. His strikeout rate, On Base Percentage, Batting Average, and GIDP rate have all been less than desirable throughout his career, but his fielding has improved and has enough pop in his bat to merit being a valuable acquisition to the right team.

While the Twins playoff hopes are slim to none this season, there are many teams with potential for a postseason run as the trade deadline looms.Currently the need for a starting third baseman around the league is fairly thin, but that could change as we get closer to the July 31st trade deadline.

The New York Mets are 44-37 with hopes of returning to the World Series again and are currently in second place behind the Washington Nationals in a much tighter NL East race this year. They were dealt a tough blow when Captain and long time All-Star third baseman David Wright suffered a likely season ending neck injury in May. Plouffe was rumored to be a trade candidate at the time, but the Mets have since acquired Kelly Johnson once again from the Braves and signed former Met Jose Reyes after he was DFA'd from the Rockies to fill the their third base void.

Division rivals and last years World Series Champion Kansas City Royals were also dealt a blow in May when left fielder Alex Gordon and third baseman Mike Moustakas collided on a play, putting Moustakas out for the season and Gordon on the DL for a month. Kansas City opted to fill the positions from within their system to replace the injured All Stars instead of the trade market. Cheslor Cuthbert and Whit Merrifield were called up and have both performed well while being able to play multiple positions for the team. They have remained in the playoff hunt despite the loss of the players.

Unless a starting third baseman goes down on injuries for a contending team, the market might not be very good for trading Plouffe. Better and cheaper options might be available such as the A's Danny Valencia. Plouffe might be more valuable as a bench depth acquisition for a team with playoff hopes. His ability to play 3rd, 1st, and in a pinch even a corner OF spot or 2B could make him a more attractive option to a team that needs a good bench bat.

Other trade options the Twins might purse are moving starters Ricky Nolasco and Ervin Santana, but then again there might be better and cheaper options on the market for other teams. The Twins might also be wise to keep Santana as an experienced veteran starter presence, especially for the many young and promising Latino pitchers in the organization, and with the injury uncertainty facing Phil Hughes. Fernando Abad has pitched well for the team and could possibly net a low level prospect in return if the Twins opt to not offer him an extension beyond this season.

With the team looking to build for the future, almost any player should be on the trading block if they are not in the Twins plans looking forward. Unfortunately the Twins don't have many valuable chips on the table to play with. That said it would also not be wise to sell off cheap just because the team is not in contention, unless such a move opens up cap space or options for promotion within the system.

Now that Miguel Sano appears to be returning to his natural position, and with Joe Mauer entrenched at first base, the Twins should let Plouffe see some time at other positions to possibly bolster any trade value he has. He might not net as much in return as Twins fans like, but it would free up depth chart space and money for future contracts when the team does contend.

UPDATE: Trevor Plouffe was placed on the 15 Day DL today due to a cracked rib he recently suffered. He should still be available for trade by the deadline as long as his DL stint isn't extended beyond the 15 days.