Report: Joe Mauer Placed on Waivers, Red Sox Unlikely to Claim All-Star

Another perennial All-Star has reportedly been placed on waivers in what has already been a wild August for Major League Baseball.

FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that the Twins placed Joe Mauer on trade waivers Tuesday.

As is the case with any player being placed on waivers this time of year, there’s three scenarios that could play out if a team decides to claim Mauer — which is a major “if” itself. The Twins could allow that team to claim Mauer and his contract (which has six years and roughly $142.5 remaining) outright; That team could claim Mauer, and then work out a trade with the Twins for the catcher/first baseman; The Twins could pull Mauer back off waivers, allowing him to stay with Minnesota under his current contract.

Given the hefty price tag that comes with Mauer, it’s hard to imagine him going to another team. The Red Sox are the first team to come up in speculation, as you’d expect, because of the amount of money they were just able to save by sending Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto to the Dodgers.

Sox fans hoping to land Mauer shouldn’t get their hopes up, though, as FOX Sports’ Jon Heyman is reporting that Boston will not claim Mauer on waivers.

Mauer, a three-time batting champion and an All-Star again this season, is hitting .309 with eight home runs and 66 RBIs in 120 games.

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