Trevor Plouffe, who was released by the Twins after last season, has agreed to a one-year contract with the Oakland Athletic,s according to several media reports.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports was the first to report the news.
John Hickey of the San Jose Mercury-News wrote that Plouffe joins an already-crowded A's infield, and could end up playing at third base and first base, which is what happened with the Twins after he didn't fare well at shortstop and during a short stint in right field.
Hickey said: "As it stands now, Plouffe could move in at third base with Ryon Healy moving to the DH role. However, the A's have been looking to upgrade their power and have been talking with free agent first baseman Mark Trumbo, who led the AL with 47 homers for the Orioles. If Trumbo or another slugger like former A's first baseman Chris Carter were to come on board, they'd be likely to get the bulk of the DH time and first baseman Yonder Alonso could give up some of his playing time to either Healy or Plouffe."
Plouffe was the first-round pick of the Twins in the 2004 amateur draft, the 20th player taken that year. He was originally considered a shortstop and made his major league debut with Minnesota in 2011, before ending up as the team's primary third baseman two years later. He was also one of the back-ups to Joe Mauer at first base.
Plouffe batted .247 with 96 home runs and an OPS+ of 99 during his Twins career. He played only 84 games because of injuries last season and his value decreased with Miguel Sano now being considered the starting third baseman and several players, including Mauer, for the first base and designated hitter spots.
