Mauer must stay
Written by Cavin Berube Friday, 29 January 2010 08:00
The baseball season is slowly creeping into the picture as pitchers and catchers will be reporting in less than a month.
One of the most important players in Minnesota Twins history will be reporting catcher Joe Mauer.
The Twins seem to go just as far as Mauer will take them every year. Last year Mauer turned it on as soon as he was back in the lineup and seemed to carry the team at the end of the year to put them in the playoffs.
Even if the Twins have another successful season, the headlines will have a different focus come season’s end. That’s because when the season is over, Mauer’s contract will be up.
Mauer will likely be able to command the largest contract in Major League Baseball history if he wants to. The question is, will he? Or will he give the Twins the old hometown discount and sign for less?
There are whispers that he will get offered over $200 million from the big wig Yankees and Red Sox who are just waiting for next offseason to snag him.
The Twins must sign him. That’s the bottom line. The front office has done just enough to keep him content with the current team, but the opportunity to head out to the Northeast and win a championship may be too much for him to pass up.
As fans, we have put our tails in the seats for the past six years watching Mauer turn into the MVP he is today. We’ve even paid money for the new stadium, and now it’s time for the team to give back to the fans.
Keep arguably the most influential and popular sports icon in Minnesota here. Offer him a deal he can’t refuse, trade for another big bat, and a top of the rotation pitcher to keep him. If the Twins make some big deals, and show Mauer that they’re committed to winning now, they may just get that hometown discount.
Right now Mauer is almost as big of an icon as Kirby Puckett was. Granted, the times have changed, and money is harder to come by, but the Pohlad’s are the wealthiest owners in baseball. As the old saying goes, you gotta give some to get some. Twins, do whatever it is you need to do to win now, because if he leaves, it’s back to mediocrity.
