Twins Sign Mauer to a 10-Year Deal?

If true, this could make Victor Martinez a very expensive commodity going into 2011.

Almost immediately, Buster Olney's sources disagree.

about 1 month ago Ben Buchanan 36 comments 0 recs |

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And I just got done saying the Hot Stove had cooled.

USG

by Ben Buchanan on Feb 1, 2010 4:29 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Wouldn't surprise me

Guy is from St. Paul and is the obvious face of the franchise…

by BobZupcic on Feb 1, 2010 4:47 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

10 years would surprise me

him not signing a lengthy extension would also surprise me though.

by wolf9309 on Feb 1, 2010 4:52 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Could the Twins even afford a 10 year contract?

I mean we’re talking $250 million dollars minimum here.

Surgeon General's Warning: K-State-Mizzou basketball may increase the risk of high blood pressure. Please consult your doctor prior to watching any of these games.

by mystman995 on Feb 1, 2010 5:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not sure we are.

But yes, they could. Minny has RICH owners that haven’t been willing to spend.

USG

by Ben Buchanan on Feb 1, 2010 5:06 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Which it just occured to me could change, now that Jim Pohlad took over for the late Carl Pohlad.

USG

by Ben Buchanan on Feb 1, 2010 5:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Then what's he scheduled to make

for a 10 year contract?

Surgeon General's Warning: K-State-Mizzou basketball may increase the risk of high blood pressure. Please consult your doctor prior to watching any of these games.

by mystman995 on Feb 1, 2010 5:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

As Bob says, a longer deal means Mauer may have made concessions salary wise for length considerations. Also may have given them a hometown discount, to say nothing of the fact that the Mauer camp had to want to get a big contract signed ASAP, in case his 2010 doesn’t keep the power going.

USG

by Ben Buchanan on Feb 1, 2010 5:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

10 Year

Wouldn’t the average salary go down for a 10-year contract? The value would be more in the length of the deal than the yearly salary. I’d imagine that it would be front-loaded and taper off as Mauer ages

by BobZupcic on Feb 1, 2010 5:16 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Maybe.

But thats not how a lot of these deals tend to work.

"Ninety percent [of my salary] I'll spend on good times, women, and Irish whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."
-Tug McGraw

by BTLove on Feb 2, 2010 1:09 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Good for him

If it is true anyway.

Mauer is a rare player and will earn every cent he is paid. I just wish it was Boston’s ownership paying that bill and starting next year. Looks like we’ll be trying to find a catcher next year.

"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.

by Rogue Nine on Feb 1, 2010 5:20 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

One the bright side, he's not a MFY.... :)

"Hating the New York Yankees is as American as apple pie, unwed mothers and cheating on your income tax." -- Mike Royko

by sox-inda-south on Feb 1, 2010 6:04 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Much as I would have loved to see Mauer with the Sox...

…I must say I’m happy that he’s staying in Minny. Good for him.

Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.

I have a five-tool player in my pants.

by Bloggy on Feb 1, 2010 6:31 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Um. I mean if the deal actually gets done.

Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.

I have a five-tool player in my pants.

by Bloggy on Feb 1, 2010 6:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I hope it gets done.

1) It’s good for baseball to have a smaller market team lock up a superstar long-term

2) I don’t want the sox spending 25 mil a year on him, even though he is an incredible player.

3) The MFY can’t get him

by MikeAtBU on Feb 1, 2010 6:51 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

nice story, glad he stays there, good for baseball.

but his contract will be an albatross to that franchise.

Trade Beckett !!!

by gizmosandy on Feb 1, 2010 7:20 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Doubt it.

Sure, he’ll be a first baseman in four years, but he’s the best hitter in baseball not named Pujols. He’ll probably win five or six batting crowns over the life of a ten-year deal.

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Feb 1, 2010 7:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And they will have nobody else on the team during those 10 years

Trade Beckett !!!

by gizmosandy on Feb 1, 2010 8:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

How do you figure he's second only to Pujols?

He’s had all of 1 power year.

USG

by Ben Buchanan on Feb 1, 2010 8:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I like bold pronouncements.

He’s just 26, has a .404 career OBP and almost a .900 OPS, while catching a ton, and he just took a huge leap in terms of power. It’s likely he’ll regress a bit, but I highly doubt he’ll go back to his pre-2009 power levels.

Who would you rather have for then next 10 years?

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Feb 1, 2010 9:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Big Guy

He listed at 6’5 225. Guy should maintain his power

by Pl1166 on Feb 1, 2010 9:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That doesn't mean anything given that he didn't have that power at all before.

He was 6’5 and around that in 2006, 2007, 2008…He still doesn’t put the ball in the air with any great regularity, either. He just had a ridiculous bump in HR/FB. We’ll see if he maintains that. I’m not going to say he WON’T, I’m just saying that I’ll hold off on Mauer being anything better than a great CONTACT hitter at an offensively bankrupt position in the same way that I’m not going to call Ben Zobrist the best shortstop in the league.

USG

by Ben Buchanan on Feb 1, 2010 9:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It's not like Mauer went all Brady Anderson on us, in terms of power.

It’s not unexpected that guys at 26 will start hitting for more power.

But yes, he is more an elite contact hitter and on base machine, cut from the Wade Boggs mold, than he is a home run king.

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Feb 2, 2010 8:04 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

A lot of people have seen changes in his swing...

I think a good portion of the power jump is for real.

My big issue with him is health…

by alskor on Feb 2, 2010 1:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

A changed swing usually leads to different batted ball profiles.

But Mauer stayed pretty consistent there, unlike, say, Kalish’s sudden power burst last year.

I’m not saying Mauer won’t maintain a great deal of his power, just that until he does repeat his performance, I’m not going to jump on the “best hitter ever” bandwagon anymore then I would for any first-time breakout player. It’s why Mauer’s camp would be willing to sign an extension this offseason: Because right now they can be assured they’ll get paid for at least a good bit of power whether he retains it or not.

USG

by Ben Buchanan on Feb 2, 2010 2:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

?

Kalish didn’t change his swing. His profile changed because he simply resumed being healthy after hamate surgery, which saps power for a year+.

by alskor on Feb 2, 2010 2:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Just having more power shouldn't change your FB% all that greatly.

It’s not a matter of hard or weak that determines if the ball goes up or down. Sure, Kalish is a result of both injury and change, but batted ball profiles are more about where you hit the ball/at what angle.

USG

by Ben Buchanan on Feb 2, 2010 2:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Next 10 years?

Longoria
HanRam
Tulowitzki

Mauer is a 1B/DH in 4 or 5 years, in my opinion. He’s already had back problems, the power year is so far a HUGE outlier (his HR/FB% went from 6-7% to 20%), and he’s going to cost a ton. But that’s irrelevant, because you said he was the second best hitter in the league. And I can’t imagine he really stays better than the top-tier first basemen and left fielders of the world.

USG

by Ben Buchanan on Feb 1, 2010 9:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'd still take Mauer

Catchers develop later as hitters. Mauer has always been very good offensively, and last year he stepped up his game significantly, and he is still only 26. Unless all of baseball is wrong (and they have been before), I think he stays at or near the top.

Longoria has awesome power, but it remains to be seen whether he’ll get better than last years .364 OBP.

Tulowitzki is very good, but greatly aided by Coors (.914 at home versus .778 away over the last three years).

While HanRam has improved defensively from his horrendous 2007 season, he is still not a very good SS, and should be in the OF sooner than later.

And while its likely that someone like Heyward will develop into a better hitter than Mauer, I still think he’s the 2nd best right now.

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Feb 2, 2010 8:36 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I'd rather have Bellhorn

or was it Wily Mo? What’s the joke again?

Surgeon General's Warning: K-State-Mizzou basketball may increase the risk of high blood pressure. Please consult your doctor prior to watching any of these games.

by mystman995 on Feb 2, 2010 12:36 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

A .900 OPS alone does not really put him in an elite class. But from a catcher it is special.

"Ninety percent [of my salary] I'll spend on good times, women, and Irish whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."
-Tug McGraw

by BTLove on Feb 2, 2010 1:10 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

All right, all right, I'll say it.

Er, oops. Anyway, what I was going to say was:

“Darn”

by Sologub on Feb 1, 2010 9:06 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

If true (a big if), this is a good thing.

Either Mauer stays with his hometown Twins or goes to the Yankees – there’s basically no chance he signs with Boston. Of the two, I’d rather see him in Minnesota.

"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.

by 0157H7 on Feb 2, 2010 9:18 AM EST reply actions 0 recs