Like second base, the A’s starting third baseman has already been named. Yet that doesn’t always mean things will remain that way.
Here at White Cleat Beat we’ve started doing a preliminary pre-spring training preview of the players who are slated to play for the Oakland Athletics at each position beginning with catcher.
Now we will be moving on to the A’s potential third basemen for the 2017 season. You may say “Well spring training has already begun. Clubs have reported to camp already.”
However, these are still pre-spring training predictions as games have yet to start. Still, nothing is guaranteed this time of year as training camp and exhibition games begin.
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Players can get injured or have old injuries flare up, while non-roster invitees might put forth unexpected performances that are so incredible that they end up on the 25-man roster over a veteran.
In baseball a good rule is to usually expect the unexpected. Not unlike Zack Wheeler‘s pitching program being shut down again by the New York Mets after almost two years of attempting to recover from Tommy John surgery.
So, for now, here is a preview of what third base will probably look like in Oakland in 2017.
Trevor Plouffe
Thirty-year-old Trevor Plouffe has already been named the Oakland Athletics’ starting third baseman for 2017, after signing a one-year $5.25 million contract with the team.
The contract came after Plouffe was not tendered a contract from the only other team he’s ever played for, the Minnesota Twins. Plouffe spent seven seasons with the Twins, starting in 2010 with just 22 games that number gradually increased to 152 games in 2015.
Throughout those seasons, his best season was the probably the one in which he played in the most games and got the most at-bats. In 2015, Plouffe 22 home runs (two short of his career-high) and drove in a career-high 86 runs.
However, he hit just ,244/.307/.435 and actually had his highest batting average and on-base percentage in 2014. He hit .250 with a ,328 OBP while driving in 80 runs over 136 games.
The then-Twins third baseman seemed to be improving and in a way that improvement continued into 2016, but the injury bug struck Plouffe in April, July and again August, limiting him to just 84 games and likely leading him to being non-tendered.
Plouffe spent a stint on the disabled list in April with a strained right intercostal muscle. He was back on the disabled list by early July with a broken rib and finally, Plouffe spent the rest of the season on the DL beginning in August with a strained left oblique muscle.
Still, in 84 games he hit .260 with 12 home runs and 47 RBI.
The Athletics have now hired Plouffe as a stopgap player for Matt Chapman, who missed his entire first professional season out with injury and whom they would like to see have another year in Triple-A.
If Plouffe’s injuries don’t re-emerge, you can expect to see him starting everyday for the A’s at the hot corner.
Ryon Healy
Ryon Healy spent half of last season as the team’s everyday third baseman upon being called up straight from Double-A Midland and he far and beyond exceeded everyone’s expectations.
The 25-year-old took over as though he’d been there all year with few hiccups defensively. He hit .305/.337/.524 with 13 homers and 37 RBI in just 72 games with the big league club.
So why bring in Plouffe when Healy performed so well? The player’s name has been mentioned before, Matt Chapman, is slated to be the team’s starting third baseman in 2018. He was recently named to MiLBPipeline‘s all-defense team and made the list of MLB.com’s top 100 prospects.
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What then about Healy? Well for this season Healy will have to platoon at first base, which also happens to be his natural position, with Yonder Alonso. He can gain valuable experience defensively from Alonso while providing that important corner infield power that Alonso can’t.
Healy is also slated to be the back-up third baseman for Plouffe should he be injured or run into a slump he can’t pull himself out of. Healy also figures to get at-bats via the designated hitter position.
Matt Chapman
Chapman is not yet considered seasoned enough to play third base in the big leagues, however, if by some off-chance something were to happen to both Plouffe and Healy, one would expect him to be the A’s third option at third base.