Twins outright Plouffe from 40-man roster, becomes free agent
Trevor Plouffe's time in the Twin Cities has come to an end.
As part of a series of moves Friday, the Minnesota Twins outrighted the third baseman off the 40-man roster. Plouffe is now a free agent and eligible to sign with any team.
Plouffe struggled through an injury-plagued 2016 season that saw his numbers fall well off career norms. The 30-year-old hit just .260/.303/.420 with just 12 homers and 35 runs scored over 84 games. Rib and oblique injuries in the second half limited him to just 26 contests after July 1. He was shut down for the season in early September.
Cutting ties with Plouffe opens the hot corner for Miguel Sano on a full-time basis. Sano, who hit 25 homers in 116 games with the Twins in 2016, is a natural third baseman but played 38 games in right field this year, and had a rough time adjusting to the position.
Plouffe, a first-round pick of the Twins in 2004, spent the past seven seasons with the AL Central club - primarily as a third baseman, though he also played a bit of shortstop, right field, and first base - and hit .247/.308/.420 with 96 home runs, 148 doubles, and 357 RBIs over that span.
Plouffe was projected to make $8.2 million in 2017, his final year of arbitration eligibility, according to Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He made $7.25 million last year.
The Twins also outrighted outfielder Adam Walker from their 40-man roster; he was claimed off waivers by the Milwaukee Brewers.