Miracles can happen, Twinkies may consider trading Mauer

[chisoxfan09]

Could it be possible the Twinkies pull the trigger on Joe Mauer like they did with Johan Santana? This article breaks down the reasons why it may be in their best interest to explore a trade if he does not sign an extension and reaches Free Agency. Everyone thought this kind of scenario could never materialize but maybe Mauer wants ARod money. See link below:

 

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/87...?page=3&c=y

 

I think it is somewhat credible due to it being a local paper with a beat writer. Thoughts?

Edited March 11, 2010 by chisoxfan09

[ChiSox_Sonix]

Heard about this on Mike & Mike this morning.

 

No. Way. This. Happens.

[chisoxfan09]

Heard about this on Mike & Mike this morning.

 

No. Way. This. Happens.

 

I also feel he signs but the writer thinks there is more to the impasse than is being disclosed. I don't think but you never know.

[Chi Town Sox]

I mean things can change but I know him and Justin Morneau are real tight and in SI last year Morneau said he wouldn't talk to Mauer ever again if he didn't resign. Should be interesting

[The Ginger Kid]

I thought it was a beat writer putting pressure on the twinkies to pony up. I can't imagine him saying no to 20mil/season. Could he get more on the open market? Yes, but that's a fair hometown discount, imo.

[Rooftop Shots]

What is really scary is that you know that somewhere down the line that The Yankees will be licking their chops if Mauer is freed up.

Posada getting on in age. Man......can you imagine Mauer in that lineup with Jeter, A-Rod, and Texiera? Ouch!

[southsider2k5]

I think someone is being a plant to get Mauer worried about resigning.

[chisoxfan09]

What is really scary is that you know that somewhere down the line that The Yankees will be licking their chops if Mauer is freed up.

Posada getting on in age. Man......can you imagine Mauer in that lineup with Jeter, A-Rod, and Texiera? Ouch!

 

I think Mauer has been an outstandng hitter but his injuries are a cause for concern. You are right that the Yankees are probably the only team who would pony up 23-25 million but still I don't see him behind the plate for many years with that back injury from last year.

[Melissa1334]

i hope mauer resigns with the twins. their payroll is what, about 100mil right now? they bumped it up knowing theyll get a lot of people at the new park. but next yr or the yr after, twins fans will get over it and not care anymore about baseball like always. i think their payroll will go back down to around the 70mil range and 20-25 mil commited to just mauer sounds good to me.

Edited March 11, 2010 by Melissa1334

[Benchwarmerjim]

first of all, the writer Jim Souhan is not the beat writer for the Twins. He was a 5 or so years ago, but now is a general columnist/opinion maker/whatever you label those guys nowadays

second. Jim Souhan is mostly full of crap and just likes to stir the pot and get his name out there

 

[chisoxfan09]

first of all, the writer Jim Souhan is not the beat writer for the Twins. He was a 5 or so years ago, but now is a general columnist/opinion maker/whatever you label those guys nowadays

second. Jim Souhan is mostly full of crap and just likes to stir the pot and get his name out there

 

OK, my bad. Nobody really expects Mauer to leave as one of the faces of the Twinkies. I just posted because they have pulled the trigger once before when they thought they could not get it done with Santana. Interesting nonetheless.

[Felix]

first of all, the writer Jim Souhan is not the beat writer for the Twins. He was a 5 or so years ago, but now is a general columnist/opinion maker/whatever you label those guys nowadays

second. Jim Souhan is mostly full of crap and just likes to stir the pot and get his name out there

Souhan is a moron. This is a non-story.

[witesoxfan]

i hope mauer resigns with the twins. their payroll is what, about 100mil right now? they bumped it up knowing theyll get a lot of people at the new park. but next yr or the yr after, twins fans will get over it and not care anymore about baseball like always. i think their payroll will go back down to around the 70mil range and 20-25 mil commited to just mauer sounds good to me.

 

When have Twins fans not cared about baseball? Dumb, ignorant, and arrogant, maybe, but they care about their baseball (and no offense of course Jim, you're a treat. I just know too many Twins fans who meet the aforementioned qualities).

[Felix]

When have Twins fans not cared about baseball? Dumb, ignorant, and arrogant, maybe, but they care about their baseball (and no offense of course Jim, you're a treat. I just know too many Twins fans who meet the aforementioned qualities).

qft

[hogan873]

I wouldn't want to see Mauer is a Yankees uniform for several reasons. First of all, their lineup would be unbelievable. Secondly, I've always liked Mauer (even though he's consistently killed the Sox) and his going to the Yankees (for more money) would diminish my respect for the guy.

 

I can't imagine the Twins would ever trade him, but if he sticks to his supposed guns about $25 million a year, you never know.

[Benchwarmerjim]

I think what is getting everyone anxious/nervous/batty about this Mauer negotion thing is a couple of thing. First, the Twins have traded stars away because they dont want to pay (Rod Carew) and cant pay (Hunter, Santana). Second, the Twins just got this new stadium and the promise was 'we get to play outdoors. we get to afford our homegrown talent' there is nothing more homegrown that Joe Mauer

Spring training is in full swing and no contract is signed...time to get nervous because if nothing is signed by the end of ST, Mauer is as good as gone. Mauer has all the leverage here to get paid (new revenue streams for the team, local hero, pretty awesome player at his position)

 

my take....Mauer signs by the end of ST, and people are getting worried over nothing

[chisoxfan09]

I think what is getting everyone anxious/nervous/batty about this Mauer negotion thing is a couple of thing. First, the Twins have traded stars away because they dont want to pay (Rod Carew) and cant pay (Hunter, Santana). Second, the Twins just got this new stadium and the promise was 'we get to play outdoors. we get to afford our homegrown talent' there is nothing more homegrown that Joe Mauer

Spring training is in full swing and no contract is signed...time to get nervous because if nothing is signed by the end of ST, Mauer is as good as gone. Mauer has all the leverage here to get paid (new revenue streams for the team, local hero, pretty awesome player at his position)

 

my take....Mauer signs by the end of ST, and people are getting worried over nothing

 

I think so too and the other reality is that he would never consider coming here in FA (maybe??) and the Twinkies would never deal him to us (Intra Division plus nasty rivalry) without asking for Beckham, Peavy, Buerhle, Danks 1 and 2, Floyd, etc.

[Steve9347]

Mauer being traded would mean in my mind that MLB is broken and needs to be fixed.

[chisoxfan09]

Mauer being traded would mean in my mind that MLB is broken and needs to be fixed.

 

Are you basing that on the fact that it could mean the Evil Empire could get him again and it will always be based on who has the deepest pockets?

[witesoxfan]

Are you basing that on the fact that it could mean the Evil Empire could get him again and it will always be based on who has the deepest pockets?

 

No, it would mean that the absolute best player in the game was not able to resign with his current team and, thus, had to be traded to receive "fair" compensation. It's the same thing as Johan Santana, though the Twins were very, very smart to deal him.

[chisoxfan09]

No, it would mean that the absolute best player in the game was not able to resign with his current team and, thus, had to be traded to receive "fair" compensation. It's the same thing as Johan Santana, though the Twins were very, very smart to deal him.

 

Sad to say though it is becoming more and more of a business and that is what rules now. Just like the NFL, NBA, and to some extent the NHL.

[witesoxfan]

Sad to say though it is becoming more and more of a business and that is what rules now. Just like the NFL, NBA, and to some extent the NHL.

 

Every single one of those sports is a billion dollar business. With that comes money. It happens; it's a natural evolution of human beings. If you really wanted to blame someone, I'd suggest starting with Curt Flood, but you can blame whomever you want, and a good starting point after Flood would be the 94 strike.

 

Anyways, why should Joe Mauer, being arguably the most valuable player in the entire MLB, not want his cut? If you are making $67,000 a year, and your company offers a payraise to $100,000, but a rival company offers you $200,000, though tougher working conditions but the same guarantee - pay for 8 years - which are you going to take?

 

Joe Mauer is obviously dealing with 9 digit numbers, but the fact remains that the dude needs to get paid, and if the Twins don't come to the plate, they will lose him. You don't need to cave, but you need to give some. He's worth an 8 year contract, and he's worth $20 mill a year. If you don't want to give him Manny money, then I guarantee someone will.

[chisoxfan09]

Every single one of those sports is a billion dollar business. With that comes money. It happens; it's a natural evolution of human beings. If you really wanted to blame someone, I'd suggest starting with Curt Flood, but you can blame whomever you want, and a good starting point after Flood would be the 94 strike.

 

Anyways, why should Joe Mauer, being arguably the most valuable player in the entire MLB, not want his cut? If you are making $67,000 a year, and your company offers a payraise to $100,000, but a rival company offers you $200,000, though tougher working conditions but the same guarantee - pay for 8 years - which are you going to take?

 

Joe Mauer is obviously dealing with 9 digit numbers, but the fact remains that the dude needs to get paid, and if the Twins don't come to the plate, they will lose him. You don't need to cave, but you need to give some. He's worth an 8 year contract, and he's worth $20 mill a year. If you don't want to give him Manny money, then I guarantee someone will.

 

Not disputing that at all, just that the element of true pure baseball as we used to know it has pretty much evaporated and now what sells is the entertainment value. I know full well those other sports revolve around money now. And you are right he deserves his part of the pie. I just lament that everything has become too commercial. Natural evolution as you say I guess. We may face the same situation with Beckham in 6 years (Albeit he is not homegrown he will probably grow to be the face of the franchise at some point).

[witesoxfan]

Not disputing that at all, just that the element of true pure baseball as we used to know it has pretty much evaporated and now what sells is the entertainment value. I know full well those other sports revolve around money now. And you are right he deserves his part of the pie. I just lament that everything has become too commercial. Natural evolution as you say I guess. We may face the same situation with Beckham in 6 years (Albeit he is not homegrown he will probably grow to be the face of the franchise at some point).

 

Baseball has always and always will be entertainment. Just be thankful teams aren't paying as much for players as much as they are big time actors (I'm sure someone can verify, but I seem to recall actors getting paid something like $30 million for a single movie). Just because it has become commercialized doesn't change that fact. Point blank, there are guys like Gordon Beckham and Joe Mauer and Albert Pujols who play the game because they love the game, but they are among the best in the world at playing baseball, and should be paid as such. Obviously Beckham is a few years away (though I imagine the Sox are going to be talking to him about an extension within the next 2 years), but there is money involved. That's the absolute bottom line; how else are you going to value something?

 

If the Twins don't want to play ball with Mauer, then he'll be out of town.

 

(of course, the Twins do want to play ball with Mauer, and will do anything to lock him up long-term. They are just looking for the best deal they can get)

Edited March 13, 2010 by witesoxfan

[chisoxfan09]

Baseball has always and always will be entertainment. Just be thankful teams aren't paying as much for players as much as they are big time actors (I'm sure someone can verify, but I seem to recall actors getting paid something like $30 million for a single movie). Just because it has become commercialized doesn't change that fact. Point blank, there are guys like Gordon Beckham and Joe Mauer and Albert Pujols who play the game because they love the game, but they are among the best in the world at playing baseball, and should be paid as such. Obviously Beckham is a few years away (though I imagine the Sox are going to be talking to him about an extension within the next 2 years), but there is money involved. That's the absolute bottom line; how else are you going to value something?

 

If the Twins don't want to play ball with Mauer, then he'll be out of town.

 

(of course, the Twins do want to play ball with Mauer, and will do anything to lock him up long-term. They are just looking for the best deal they can get)

 

WSF, OT but when I read that I couldn´t help but remember Michael Jordan. That statement epitimizes what Jordan stood for and how JR paid him what he was due because he was truly the best in the world.