The Rays have acquired infielder Trevor Plouffe from the Athletics for cash considerations or a player to be named later, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes (Twitter links). The Rays will also receive cash in the deal, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand tweets, with Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle adding that the Rays will receive over $2MM to cover a portion of the approximately $3MM left on Plouffe’s $5.25MM 2017 salary. The Rays have moved righty Matt Andriese (hip) to the 60-day DL to clear space for Plouffe on their 40-man roster.
The Athletics designated Plouffe for assignment last week after he batted just .214/.276/.357 while striking out 29.1% of the time in 199 plate appearances this season. The 31-year-old also had a somewhat disappointing 2016 campaign with the Twins in which he hit a modest .260/.303/.420 while earning below-average marks in UZR and DRS for his defense. The Twins then outrighted him rather than taking him through the arbitration process.
Still, there’s perhaps reason for the Rays to hope Plouffe will be somewhat productive. He was a decent regular in Minnesota in 2014 and 2015, and he has decent power (with 103 career big-league home runs) and can play either infield corner. He’s also batted a solid .269/.345/.459 against lefties in his career, whereas the Rays as a team have hit a modest .227/.312/.374 against southpaws.
The Rays have established players at third (Evan Longoria), first (Logan Morrison) and DH (Corey Dickerson), but the left-handed Morrison, despite having a very strong season overall, has not hit lefties well in his career. The Rays could try to find further opportunities for Plouffe as a pinch-hitter, and he should improve their bench, which has had uninspiring options like Michael Martinez and Rickie Weeks to man the infield corners. Also, as ESPN’s Jim Bowden points out in a tweet, the Rays’ AL East rivals the Red Sox have struggled at third base this season and had interest in Plouffe last winter, and the Rays acquiring him prevents the Red Sox from acquiring him now. Plouffe is eligible for free agency after the season.
Wild guess if the Rays took him on they are not paying more than league minimum of what is left on what is left of the salary. This organization doesn’t pay anyone.
So I guess Longoria’s contract is considered nothing then?? Interesting…
This organization has a history of being tighter on the wallet than any since Charlie O’Finley Athletics and the Calvin Griffith ran Minnesota ran Twins. Longoria is a single example and years ago when the Rays went out and bought a few players, then quickly blew those teams up back in the beginning days of the franchise.
The rays have never “blown up” a team of players they’ve bought. I’ll agree they are stingy but Finley’s As and the op twins never would’ve signed extensions with players like the Ray’s have think of Longoria, Archer, Forsythe, and company, they’ve never been one piece away to warrant the splash.
I agree. Although they have made big money mistakes in the past ..more often than not they make a deal when the player is at peak value such as Price and Crawford . Yes..Cr was a free agent but you get the point.
tighter on the wallet? garbage tv deal and bottom 5 in attendance means there is no wallet.
Looks like they’re paying $1M or more – depending on whether or not they send a player back.
Stretch him into a utility guy?
Don’t see much reps at 3B with Evan there.
He’ll platoon
No doubt will allow him to be a corner back-up infielder meaning the era of Rickie Weeks is happily over.
Hopefully LoMo still starts for them because he has been decent for me in fantasy and I would hate to see him loose playing time to a guy like Plouffe
If Logan doesn’t have to face lefties, his avg, obp, and ops will be better. Glass is half full!
It just did not work in Oakland. You wish him better luck this time around…
Yankees have black holes at 3rd and 1st and need pitching depth. This isn’t the A’s year. So how about Gray, Alonso, Lowrie for Chance Adams, Domingo Acevedo, Dustin Fowler, and Estevan Florial?
Hahahaha for all 3 of those guys Torres AND Frazier would have to be part of the package, then some. Gray is young and has a team friendly contract, Alonso looks like he will be the starting first baseman in the All Star game and Lowrie is having a career year. 2 prospects that aren’t even in the top 90 and 2 others wouldn’t even be in the ballpark to what Beane would accept.
The Yankees aren’t trading Torres. I do hope Beane drives a hard bargain with $Man. I like Rutherford better than Frazier as a hitter. I’d take Frazier, Adams, and Acevedo for Lowrie, Gray, Alonso. Also Sonny hasn’t pitched that well. If he goes on a tear, the A’s will get more for him.
The stats that teams care about show that Gray is pitching at nearly his Cy Young contention season. ZERO chance Torres is included but it will be a haul if the A’s trade him to the Yankees.
I agree, and I think we can package Alonso, Gray, and Lowrie for 4-5 good prospects. But we’re not going to get a haul for Sonny like we could have in 15 unless he goes on a tear for the next month. Then we could get three top 100 guys just for Sonny. Our trading pieces and NYY’s big league needs and farm system make for a good trading partner.
Lowrie, Alonso, and Madsen for Fowler and Acevedo. I doubt the A’s trade Gray without Frazier in the deal. The yanks need another solid reliever. That would give the Yanks a big advantage over the other east teams.
Lowrie, Alonso, and Madsen is going to require more than Fowler and Acevedo. Try Fowler and Adams or Beane hangs up the phone. Madsen could be traded though. We have very little need for him this year. I could see the A’s moving all 4 (Lowrie, Alonso, Madsen, Gray) for 5 prospects from the Yankees. Beane would want Frazier, Adams, Acevedo, and a few low level lottery ticket A ball prospects.
If ever there ever was a way to show just how horrendous the A’s defense is, Sonny Gray’s 4.44 ERA, 3.33 FIP and 3.27 xFIP are it. If he had the the Reds, Rockies, Dodgers or Cubs defenses behind him, his ERA would probably be around 2.00.
“I could see the A’s moving all 4 (Lowrie, Alonso, Madsen, Gray) for 5 prospects from the Yankees.”
That’s literally never happened before, so no, we actually can’t see that happening. Why would Beane do that when he could get 3-6 different teams 1-2 prospects? Madson has closer experience and is arguably the best RP available after Robertson, who has lots of money owed too. Pat Neshek, while having a better year, doesn’t have closer experience. I didn’t agree with Madson’s placement on MLBTR’s top 50 trade candidates, should have been much higher, and could get a not-great farms’ #1 prospect much like Zobrist got Manaea.
Deals like that have happened before. Look up the 97 White Sox White flag trade. They traded Roberto Hernandez, Wilson Alvarez, and Danny Darwin to the Giants for six prospects. Why shop Madsen to a team for a crummy prospect when you could include him in a deal with the Yankees and get all the prospects you want in one deal?
Also, Madson does not want to close. He’s asked Melvin that. Why do you think Gas Can Casilla is closing? Madson won’t close for NYY either, Betances will.
When you’re bringing up deals that are 20 years old, you are making my point. These don’t happen.
You mean Chapman will.
Exactly, you aren’t getting Gray, Lowrie and Alonso in the same deal without giving up your #1 prospect. Those 3 turn a fringe contender into a dark horse instantly. That’s not cheap.
You realize Alonso has the 2nd best OPS in the AL behind Judge (Trouts not qualified anymore) – why would a team sell low on that?
The Yankees aren’t trading Gleyber, but they have a deep farm system so the A’s can choose from other prospects to make a Alonso-Lowrie-Gray deal work.
Give up this nonsense man. There’s no way Beane is giving up his most valuable trade chips in a deal that doesn’t net one of the top 10 prospects in baseball. This is real life, not MLB The Show.
Just. Not. Happening.
You think Beane can get a top 1o prospect for Jed Lowrie? You just said Beane could get q team’s 1 or 2 rated prospect for Alonso, Lowrie, or Madsen. That’s laughable.
You realize Addison Russell was not a top 10 prospect, maybe top 25. He was highly rated, but the price was Shark who had one and a half years of control and was pitching lights out. Lowrie is not going to net that type of return. Alonso probably won’t either, because teams value 1B less than they do elite starting pitchers. No team other than NYY who’s contending needs a 1B, so demand is way less for Alonso than it is for a starting pitcher.
If Beane nets several top 100 prospects (including Frazier) for Gray, Lowrie, and Alonso, that’s a great haul.
Henduland…there is no way the Yankees are going to trade Chance Adams for anybody, including Gray.
Why would they want Lowrie?
Gray and Alonso might be interesting, but I think Adams is untouchable from what I’ve read.
Try again!
The Yankees traded Jay Buhner for Ken Phelps. The Yankees need a third basemen, first basemen, and Starting Pitcher. The Yankees have an impatient fan base. The Yankees will overpay this summer to contend. The A’s have pieces the Yankees can use. But it’s going to cost them 3 or 4 good prospects.
While Buhner-for-Phelps definitely qualifies as an impatient move, I don’t recall Buhner being nearly as highly regarded a prospect as Adams.
Ha! Buhner was an all star and had a great career. Adams is just a prospect. He hasn’t turned out to be anything yet. That’s why you sometimes have to trade great prospects for good players. Teams aren’t going to give away their talent for nothing just to help the Yankees win a World Series.
When the trade was made, Buhner wasn’t as highly regarded as Adams is now. And it took Buhner a few years after that trade to the Mariners to break out.
Evaluating the Yankees trade decision at that time based on Buhner’s success in his Age 30, 31, and 32 seasons after almost three years of mediocrity invalidates your point about Buchner-go-Phelps in relation to Adams trade scenarios, in my opinion.
The Yankees have already committed to being patient and the fact that they started off strong this year won’t change that for a one and done shot this year. With only Severino and Montgomery guaranteed to return to the rotation next year they won’t trade Adams this season.
Their outfield is crowded for the time being, especially if Hicks isn’t a fluke. So maybe one of Frazier, Fowler, Rutherford gets traded by the deadline. Or they might even try and sell high on Hicks. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Mateo be packaged at the deadline. But if they make a trade by the deadline they definitely won’t gut the farm system and Torres isn’t going anywhere. My best guess is they trade for a mid level starter, then in the off season try and move guys like Headley, Gardner, and Ellsbury. That won’t be easy.
The Yankees are terrible at First and Third.
I agree on Hicks. Get out while the going is good if you’re the Yankees and figure that even if Hicks is for real, he’s not going to become and remain a perennial All Star.
I don’t see the Yankees taking on much salary this year. They want to re set their luxury tax for future spending. Although, they clearly have needs I just don’t see either them or Boston adding a lot of salary. They seem to be thinking long term not just this year.
Alonso and Lowrie are free agents at the end of the year (Lowrie has a team option). Gray is still in his arb years. Adding those 3 does very little to the Yankees balance sheet.
So far, to back up your points, you have referenced trades from 1997 and 1988.
Do you understand that trade markets have evolved since then? Because they have. You are pulling up dumb 1-off deals that never happened again. You know what has happened? The A’s traded 3 years of Dan Haren for 6 players including Cargo, Chris Carter, Brett Anderson. That’s what Gray alone might come close to bringing in. Stop undervaluing him, his FIP and xFIPs are outstanding and teams look at those more than ERA.
You literally just said these massive deals never happen and then cited a massive deal involving Beane. So what is it? They don’t happen or they do. Make up your mind.
Gray does not have the same value as Haren did in 2007. Haren was coming off a great season. Stop projecting Gray to be this Stud ace, because no one sees him that way RIGHT NOW. That could change quickly if he pitches well over the next month, which is why the A’s will hold onto him until late July.
you are missing his point. they won’t trade all 3 (or 4) because a) no one in contention has that farm and b) it would mean Beane is selling his assets short, which he rarely does.
exactly 0 successful teams make moves based on fan expectations. most smart fans would rather be great from 2018-2025 than have a shorter window by mortgaging the future.
Come on, Red Sox. Reports had it that Plouffe was targeted as a stopgap 3B this past off season for us. Now Plouffe is available and you don’t even try to get him? The revolving black hole at 3B is killing us..
plouffe would solve that how? if you’re going to go as low level as Plouffe, why not just call up Devers?