Mauer might be the face of the Twins, but the 2009 AL MVP’s contract is up at the end of this year, and negotiations on a new deal appear to be lagging, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
The 26-year-old from St. Paul, Minn., is looking for Alex Rodriguez-type money, or around $25 million a season. The Twins are believed to have offered more than $20 million per year — more than they paid their entire team some seasons in the 1990’s — to keep the homegrown superstar in town, but he has been waffling and has yet to put his signature on the dotted line.
According to Star-Tribune columnist Jim Souhan, the bright lights and big money of Boston or New York could lure Mauer to the Red Sox or Yankees instead of signing a lucrative extension in Minnesota. If the Twins and their franchise catcher are unable to reach an agreement, the Fenway faithful could have a chance to see Mauer behind the dish even sooner than 2011, as Minnesota will surely look to cash in on their star before he leaves for draft picks (as a free agent).
While a deal still could be worked out with the Twins, the hold-up in negotiations gives hope to every other team in baseball and is sending Twins fans into a panic. Mauer’s agent, Ron Shapiro, has a history of keeping star players in one city — he worked out deals that kept Cal Ripken Jr. in Baltimore and Kirby Puckett in Minnesota — but like any good agent, he isn’t encouraging his client to take a hometown discount.
Calling an annual income of $20 million a discount might seem to be a ridiculous statement, but Shapiro is holding out for every cent he can get for the North Star state’s version of LeBron James. Minnesota may be home, but the thought of Mauer winning MVPs and World Series titles in pinstripes or with the famous cursive "B" on his cap could scare the Twins into coughing up that extra couple of million.
If Mauer really does crave a bigger stage — for his playing career and endorsement opportunities — Boston or New York would be the logical destination. It would be hard to see anyone other than the Red Sox or Yankees ponying up $200 million for a catcher who has had leg and back problems in the past. Sure, Victor Martinez wants to be behind the plate in Boston for the foreseeable future, but would Theo Epstein really let a talent like Mauer get away if he was available?
Seeing Mauer take part in baseball’s biggest rivalry — no matter which side — is not a certainty, but at this point, neither is a deal with the Twins (and that was thought to be just a formality). The state of Minnesota is holding its collective breath as Mauer and its other indecisive superstar, Brett Favre, wait to make a decision.
Who knows? If Favre retires, maybe Mauer, the former Gatorade National Player of the Year in football, could end up wearing two different helmets for his hometown clubs. That’s something Boston or New York can’t offer.
