Trevor Plouffe stays put — except during his offseason

FORT MYERS, FLA. – Spending an offseason in Malibu, Calif., sounds like a dream.

For Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe, it was something entirely different.

When Plouffe reported for spring training last week, he had been at his home in Porter Ranch, Calif., for only a week. The previous three months? His family was among the approximately 3,400 residents who had to evacuate the town because of a methane gas leak that, in the end, was declared the largest in U.S. history. According to reports, 107,000 tons of methane were released into the atmosphere.

"We were right smack in the middle of it," Plouffe said. "We were right down the street from it."

Plouffe was in his backyard in October with his brother, Marshall, when he smelled a strong odor while turning on his gas grill.

"I thought my propane was leaking," Plouffe said. "We called the gas company and the guy came down and said, 'Look, it's not your house, I've got about 100 of these calls, people thinking it is their house. We have a leak up at the well. We're going to fix it in a couple of days.'

"It turned out to be four months before they fixed it."

Plouffe and his wife, Olivia, just had their first child, Teddy, on July 29. Their concerns about his health made the decision to move an easy one. As it turned out, some residents ended up complaining of nausea and headaches.

Southern California Gas, which operates the tank where the leak was found, provided Porter Ranch residents housing during the ordeal. The Plouffes ended up in an apartment in Malibu.

At least Plouffe was only a few minutes from Pepperdine University, where he usually trains during the offseason, compared to the hour-plus drive he normally makes to get there. While his living situation was compromised, he was able to remained focused on preparing for his seventh season with the Twins — a season some fans weren't expecting.

With Miguel Sano set for his first full season in the majors, many wondered if Plouffe would be traded to open a spot at the position Sano was groomed to play in the minors.

Twins General Manager Terry Ryan had other ideas, moving Sano to right field.

Plouffe hit only .244 last season, but he led the team with 86 RBI and was tied for second with 22 home runs. His 2.5 WAR was second best on the team. Defensive stats suggest he's in the middle of the pack among third basemen in the game.

Instead of moving Plouffe, the Twins kept someone who has made himself into a solid player. Plouffe said he never thought about his future with the Twins unless he was asked by reporters.

He was told after the season by manager Paul Molitor and hitting coach Tom Brunansky that he was wanted, and he avoided going to salary arbitration by signing a one-year, $7.25 million contract. Plouffe reported to camp a happy man — other than having his living situation abruptly altered during the offseason.

"Molly and Bruno both said, 'You're coming back and you're going to play third,' " Plouffe said. "I told them I didn't care [about the position]. I've played other positions before. I'll play anywhere. I want to stay at third base. I think I feel really comfortable there, but if it became an issue and we need something, I don't care. You can't be selfish like that in this game."

It was at that point when Plouffe, who was sitting in front of his clubhouse stall at Hammond Stadium, turned to shortstop Eduardo Escobar and said, "Esckie, I'm going to play shortstop this year."