Twins' Plouffe on Angels' radar for potential third base help
Earlier this week, it was announced that the Minnesota Twins won the rights to negotiate with Korean slugger Byung Ho Park. If the club is able to come to an agreement with Park on a contract within the 30-day period, it would require some maneuvering on the current roster.
One such player possibly displaced should Park come over would be third baseman Trevor Plouffe, whom the Los Angeles Angels may be interested in if and when they let free agent David Freese walk. The Halos have a stated need to improve offense this offseason, as it was a big reason why the club failed to make the postseason in 2015, a season after winning 98 games and running away with the AL West.
Jeff Fletcher of the O.C. Register floated the idea on Twitter:
The addition of Park would create a logistical problem for the Twins, as they'd have Plouffe, Joe Mauer, Park and Miguel Sano vying for three spots (DH, first base and third base). In that scenario, it's easy to see them looking to the trade market to free up some space.
Plouffe, 29, is from West Hills, California. He hit .244/.307/.435 with the Twins in 2015 with 22 home runs and 86 RBI, which would presumably give the Angels a bit of a jolt on offense if a trade were to materialize.
This is all speculative at this point, considering the Twins don't currently have the positional logjam that would necessitate a move...but it's something to consider as the winter progresses and new Angels GM Billy Eppler starts getting to work reshaping his club.
