Whenever a team shells out the kind of money that the Twins just gave catcher Joe Mauer ($184 million for eight years), they have fully come to grips with the notion that they’re sailing into uncharted waters. But the hope is that the ends will justify the means and in the case of Mauer, they probably will.
Mauer hit .365 with 28 home runs last year and drove in 96 RBI. At only 26, the Twins are banking that Mauer won’t get injured and he’ll be able to keep his production high for most of his contract. And while he may need to eventually switch positions (with the nightly toll that the game takes on catchers, they tend to break down faster than other position players) to keep his offensive numbers high, there’s a good chance that Minnesota will get what they paid for.
Another key factor is that Mauer is a hometown hero – a local product that grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota and was drafted right out of high school. If the Twins were to spend big on any player, it might as well be Mauer, who is not only a fantastic player but who also is beloved by fans. He’s the face of their franchise and while the Twins are often reluctant to open their checkbooks, they had to ensure that Mauer would finish his career in the “Twin Cities.”
Is $184 million a lot of money to spend on one player? Of course it is and the Twins are well aware of the risk. But they had to pony up and I’m sure fans are glad they did.
On a related note, I find it ironic that the Twins bypassed (in part) Mark Prior on draft day in 2001 because they were afraid of how much they’d have to fork over for his signing bonus. Then they wind up signing Mauer for $184 million. It just goes to show you that if a player develops, a team will inevitably have to pay at some point.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
