Joe Mauer, Come on Down…

Posted by twinsmvb on May 19, 2009 under John | Be the First to Comment

I honestly didn’t think things could get any worse for me this week. I watched my beloved Twins lose to the hated Yankees in walk-off fashion not once, but three times.  I had to endure another Twins loss last night while listening to Oral Hershiser drool over every member of the Yankees roster. I watched the Twins continue to struggle last night against the White Sox and to top it off, I got a haircut and now I look like I am twelve (don’t ever tell someone with scissors to use their discretion when trimming your sideburns[1]).Thankfully, I have had a Sheppard to guide me and my fellow Twins fans through the darkness. His name is Joe Mauer.

Mauer has been sensational so far in his first month back in the lineup. Joe is batting .406 with 7 HR’s and 18 RBI’s (that’s in 17 games). To put this in perspective, last season Mauer hit .328 with 9 HR’s and 85 RBI’s (and was in the conversation for MVP). It is very difficult to tell where he will wind up at the end of this season, but if he keeps this up ESPN projects that Mauer is on pace to hit .406 with 57 HR’s and 147 RBI’s.

Of course this is highly unlikely and I am not arguing that Joe Mauer is going to hit over 50 HR’s, or even 35. What I am saying is that Joe has clearly gotten better with the stick, and these days a big bat demands a big contract.

Joe’s contract is up at the end of the 2010 season. This season (2009) Joe is due to collect $10.5 million from the Twins. In 2008, when Mauer hit .328 with 9 HR’s and 85 RBI’s he raked in about $6.25 million. So what is it going to take for the Twins to keep their All-Star Catcher?                  

Across the AL Central in Detroit, Miguel Cabrera (the same age as Mauer)  hit .281 with 37 HR’s and 127 RBI’s last season. Cabrera is set to make about $152 million over 8 years. In the National League, Albert Pujols hit .357 with 37 HR’s and 116 RBI’s last season and is inked in at $100 million over 7 years.  Sitting right next to Joe in the dugout, Justin Morneau hit .300 last season with 23 HR’s and 129 RBI’s. Justin recently signed a 6 year, $80 million deal (with $6 million in signing bonus).

When considering what Joe Mauer is capable of doing at the plate (not to mention his glove) and based on what we have seen so far this season, I don’t think it’s unrealistic for Joe to finish the season hitting .330 with 20 HR’s and 100 RBI’s. If this is the case I would expect Mauer to attract somewhere in the ballpark of 6 years /$100 million, or maybe more. Fortunately, the Twins current payroll is $65.2 million, which is about $20 million shy of what the Twins have said they are willing to spend.

Keep in mind that there will be players who are eligible for arbitration next year (Liriano and Slowey), but regardless of the situation, signing Joe Mauer needs to be a priority this season for the Twins despite any policies of not negotiating contracts during the season. It would be a shame if the Twins thought they would get a “hometown discount,” and wound up losing one of the greatest catchers of all time.

Joe’s market really depends on how healthy he can stay over the course of this season and if he can continue to hit the ball like he is. If he can do both of these things, there is no question in my mind that Joe will cash in. The question is where?

Additional comments powered by BackType