Trevor Plouffe Part of Twins Core Long-Term

In the midst of another trying season, the Twins find themselves in the position to look towards the future.

The starting rotation is only functioning in 1 or 2 spots, the bullpen has held solid so far and the lineup has been better than expected in spots, but has also been glaring in others.

One such spot is third base, where lineup mainstay Danny Valencia struggled so badly at the plate and in the field he was demoted.

Trevor Plouffe, struggling to find a permanent position was given the opportunity to step in at third. He responded with a bang, hitting 18 home runs since he became a regular at the hot corner and playing adequate enough defense to give the Twins hope he has finally found a place to play for good.

With the Twins fading out of contention this season, next year becomes a focal point.

The Twins appear to have the left side of their infield set to go for the long haul, with Plouffe and shortstop Brian Dozier playing well and playing on an everyday basis. And with Mauer, Morneau, Willingham, Doumit, Carroll, and Revere at the least all set to return, we can expect the Twins to try to find as many anchors as they can to leave as few holes as possible for free agency and trades.

The question becomes what to do with Danny Valencia? But at this point who cares?

As long as Plouffe continues to hit, he will continue to play third. And that's all the Twins are asking of him right now.