Tom Powers: Re-signing Joe Mauer will drive Twins' payroll into...

[axeljulin]

They will never trade him. If they do. I am no longer a twins fan.

[Joe]

Very nice article. I'd kill if they didn't re-sign Mauer. The Twins would lose all my respect. Plain and simple.

[Joe]

Gods messenger wrote:

The Mauer situation works out perfectly for the Twins.
A. Mauer asks to be paid roughly fair market and the Twins pretend to make an offer - 85 % of market value and 4 years instead of 6-7.
B. Mauer turns down the Twins and they have a villain for the fans to hate.
C. Trade Mauer and go in the tank.
D. Trade Morneau, Cuddyer and Nathan because they just aren't competing anymore, cutting payroll to about 50 million.
E. SELL HOPE WITH THE NEW PLAYERS AND RAKE IN MONEY FROM ALL THE FANS WHO WANT TO SEE THE NEW STADIUM.
Remember, those poor Twins were the 6th most profitable franchise last year and 9th most the year before.

Haha. Morneau, Cuddyer and Nathan aren't competing anymore? Cuddy probably just had his best year, Nathan broke the Twins single season saves record and Morneau is still a stud at first. Having said that, you're a total moron. U'd make for a terrible owner/GM. Boo this man.

[Red Foreman]

Just get it done and quit analyzing it to death already. You absolutely positively cannot let him go and you know that.

[Jacksson]

Look at the contracts out there now and the talent coming in the minors. By the beginning of 2012 both Nathan and Cuddy will be gone, either by trade or free agency and replaced by players at the league minimum. Unless his overall ability really blossoms, Young will be on his way out of town by then as well as one or more of the current crop (Baker?) of starters because of the money they will cost. If Hardy doesn't show the results from his glory days in Milwaukee, and if Punto doesn't perform well enough to establish himself as a starter, at what both are being paid, neither of them will be here to see 2012 either.

[C Racker Jack]

Joe Stebo wrote:

I get most of the stuff here, but I never understood the trashing of Nick Punto. He strikes me as a guy with average MLB talent who works hard, keeps his head in the game, and inspires his teammates. Contrast those attributes with our underachieving LF and I don't quite get why the blasts are directed at Punto. I guess we all see things differently.

Do you watch the games? Punto is a stiff on the bases and a stiff at the plate. He fails at the most fundamental plays like bunting and watching the third-base coach for signals while running the bases. He's grossly overpaid for being a spare infielder. The blind sow percentages allow him to randomly shine but his overall play is less than average. He pulls a fielding play out of his arse most likely because he's not playing where a coach has positioned him. I would rather see Delmon Young on the field than Punto. You'll never convince me that he's worth $4.5 million a season. Guys who make $4.5 million contribute at all facets of the game. Punto is a pig and skates because he's one of Gardy's boys. Todd Walker was 10 times the player of Punto but Walker wasn't one of Kelly's boys so he got the hook.

[We have to have Joe]

Pay what ever Joe wants, I think it will be resonable, he doesn't strike me as a guy who is money crazy, he is the hometown boy, and the fans love him. We voted for your stadium now give us Joe Mauer!!!!

[We will see]

I hope they do the right thing, they have a great opportunity.

[bobby]

Adios wrote:

<quoted text>
Enjoy all those exciting soccer games. I am sure you will be missed deeply.

hey! I feel the same way right now. Lose Joe and lose me as a fan. AT least make a descent play for him. I guess if I feel the twins offered him a fair deal and he chose another team then I would probably feel different. I don't think Joe would go just for more money. I really don't.

[bobby]

We have to have Joe wrote:

Pay what ever Joe wants, I think it will be resonable, he doesn't strike me as a guy who is money crazy, he is the hometown boy, and the fans love him. We voted for your stadium now give us Joe Mauer!!!!

I think you are absoultey right. I don't he has the ego problem a lot of the other athletics have. When these other guys hear someone is making more than them they want to re-negoiate there contracts. I grauntee you the twins will offer him more money than he can spend in two lifetimes and he will take it. He's got family here, he's a home town kid. He would hate NY and he knows that. I wouldn't be worrying about losing Joe. But they need to be trying to find some pitchers to pitch so they don't to put up 10 runs a game to win.

[Something Non Partisan]

Disgusting.

I used to love baseball.

[time for honesty]

we ANTICIPATE revenue will be higher? What are you smoking?

No, revenue will be SUBSTANTIALLY higher next year. We all know it. No anticipation needed. I'm sure they already know how much better the revenue will be.
And they damned well better spend it, or there will be riots. The taxpayers didn't buy a stadium for more of the same old "we're too poor" excuses from billionaires.

[Packers Suck]

I dont even need to read this ridiculous article. I forgot, how much is the Yanks payroll? Please, when a franchise can win its 30th title or whatever it screams there is an issue. Payroll in the MLB is way out of hand andit is little fun to watch unless you are a yank fan. All of us other small markets hope someday they make it on luck. This game sucks and I stopped watching it the day they deemed one guy worth a quarter billion.

[Adam]

I'm pretty sure Mr. Powers is mistaken here. If Mauer is to sign a new deal this winter, it will void next year's deal. Thus the $20 or so million will count towards next years' payroll. That's usually how new contracts work in MLB

[Feces Occurs]

Adam wrote:

I'm pretty sure Mr. Powers is mistaken here. If Mauer is to sign a new deal this winter, it will void next year's deal. Thus the $20 or so million will count towards next years' payroll. That's usually how new contracts work in MLB

Mauer is under contract for next year so another contract would start after that one,so his salary is set for 2010, unless both sides agree to tear up the final year and start the new contract right away.

[NC Vikings]

I don't agree, for the simple reason that not having Mauer will cause a significant portion of their fan base to turn their backs to the team. Even a 5 year $100 million contract will be a net profit for the Twins organization on the Mauer matter. Also, the building of a new stadium is not consistent with their past history, so there is good reason to be optimistic.

Conservative observations wrote:

The Twins will not sign Mauer, of course, although they will continue to spin (they have already begun doing that) the matter as if they are doing everything that they can to sign him. Then, consistent with their past history on such matters, they will let us know that in spite o f their best efforts, they just didn't think that they could afford to pay Mauer his market price and are moving on. Kind of predictable but it will be fun the watch the story unfold over the next year and the spin that the Twins put on it. They are and always will be a .500 team with or without Mauer and that is sufficient for the owners.

[NC Vikings]

I think the magic word is "extension", thus not voiding the 2010 contract. Of course, if I really knew how contracts worked, I'd be having one of my aides type this response.

Adam wrote:

I'm pretty sure Mr. Powers is mistaken here. If Mauer is to sign a new deal this winter, it will void next year's deal. Thus the $20 or so million will count towards next years' payroll. That's usually how new contracts work in MLB

[Jerry]

Give Mauer anything within reason. Without him the Twins may as well drastically cut payroll and become the Cincy Reds of the A.L. Central. Resign Pavano and pick up another decent veteran pitcher. Rotatation of Baker, Blackburn, Slowey, Pavano, Veteran signing.

[Feces Occurs]

Jerry wrote:

Give Mauer anything within reason. Without him the Twins may as well drastically cut payroll and become the Cincy Reds of the A.L. Central. Resign Pavano and pick up another decent veteran pitcher. Rotatation of Baker, Blackburn, Slowey, Pavano, Veteran signing.

Don't forget Duensing, the kid pitched pretty good at the end.

[nuh uh]

I also don't understand the Punto bashing. He has many more good at bats, than most of the Twins. He did struggle early this year, but his OBP the last couple of months was out of sight. We would not have won the division without him.