Should the Twins offer Mauer a Koivu-like extension?

[Monkeypaws]

 

signing guys to their age 37/38 year is good for the team?

Worked for Boston and Ortiz.

 

Each case is unique. Mauer is a pretty special athlete who seems to have finally gotten out of a long funk, concussions or whatever.

 

His experience, athleticism, demeanor could all be valuable assets going forward.

 

Agree now is not the time to do this, and I think the best situation would be an overture from Mauer's camp this off-season that gave him a couple more years at a nice price. He sure didn't cut the Twins a hometown discount last time around.

[Brock Beauchamp]

No, declining former stars must formally hit FA and then they can sign for whatever they want. This is specifically for extensions while under team control just like arbitration. Of course, they could have gotten rid of this clause in the 2+ new CBA's since I paid attention to this type of stuff.

Oh, I see what you’re saying. An extension while the contract is in place. I misunderstood.

[Darius]

They aren't just signing "some guy" to an extension in his mid-30s. Let's get that clear. Guys like Boggs, Molitor, etc, who Mauer belongs in the conversation alongside in terms of hitting prowess, pulled it off just fine.

 

Second, there is injury risk with any player you sign. Sano is the answer to that injury risk at 1B? He has yet to play more than 116 games in a season because of injury.

 

Third, Mauer is exactly what this lineup needs. They have any number of guys who can hit the all out of the ballpark with a low BA/excessive K rates (Sano, Buxton, Rosario, Dozier, etc). What this team needs is a guy who can be a pro hitter, move runners over, take long ABs, etc.

 

A Freddie Freeman or Joey Votto isn't falling out of the sky into our laps anytime soon. Hate to break it to some of you. Mauer is the best possible option for the foreseeable future, especially if he's back to hitting .320 with a .400+ OBP.

 

Then, you throw in the marketability of a guy who could push for the HOF and possibly 3k hits....letting him walk would be borderline insanity by this FO from a baseball and business perspective.

[Darius]

He sure didn't cut the Twins a hometown discount last time around.

Let's be honest, who here would want to give the Pohlad's a "hometown discount" if it came down to that?

 

I would relish the opportunity to repay them for all of the penny pinching and hand-sitting that cost us fans legitimate contending teams in the '00s, and suffering through some of the worst baseball in the MLB outside of that....only to extort $350 million in tax dollars (plus interest paid by the County on the bonds) for a stadium, while only contributing about half of that themselves.

 

They should rightfully be raked over the coals. Growing up in Minnesota, as Mauer has, should only solidify that notion.

[Jacksson]

I would WAIT until the current contract has expired. I doubt there would be many interested in his services for 2019 and I doubt that Mauer would be interested in any teams other than the Twins or Tampa UNLESS he places a premium on getting to a World Series.

[jimmer]

 

I would WAIT until the current contract has expired. I doubt there would be many interested in his services for 2019 and I doubt that Mauer would be interested in any teams other than the Twins or Tampa UNLESS he places a premium on getting to a World Series.

 

If Mauer plays in 2018 like he has in 2017, I imagine plenty of teams would be interested in a player of Mauer's talent in 2019.

[drivlikejehu]

Mauer is not going to be a hot commodity in 2019. There's a good chance he doesn't repeat his current performance next year, and even if he does, a league-average 1B at that age has limited value. 

 

The Twins would be able to pay him the market rate if they wanted to and it wouldn't be a problem in terms of payroll. There's zero upside to any other approach and therefore a 0% it happens. 

[Mr. Brooks]

If Mauer plays in 2018 like he has in 2017, I imagine plenty of teams would be interested in a player of Mauer's talent in 2019.

Sure, there'll be interest. But, nobody is throwing outrageous money at a 36 year old, 3 WAR 1st baseman. So, there isn't much risk in just waiting until he's FA.

[crop duster]

From the current CBA, pretty clear Mauer can't take much of a pay cut on any extension.

[S.]

There is absolutely no reason to sign him to another contract at this point. Its not like he's going to hit free agency after the 2018 season and we're going to be in a massive bidding war with other teams for him. Even if he plays out of his mind in 2018, I can't imagine a scenario where Joe goes elsewhere unless we're lowballing the hell out of him and some other team is offering him big money. And I can't imagine that happening. 

 

Best case scenario of signing Joe to an extension early is we save maybe $4-5M tops (even that is unlikely). All the other possible scenarios end poorly for us with him injured, production dropping off, needing to move Sano to first, etc. As productive as he's been this year, he isn't young and he doesn't hit for a ton of power. If we sign him to 2 additional years and he loses some of the power he has, all of a sudden we have 3 years of a slap hitting first baseman in the decline of his career, clogging up first base, who isn't an asset off the bench due to his lack of speed or power.

 

Its a high risk, no reward scenario. Unless you consider saving a few million a reward, but if a few million is making or breaking our payroll then we have bigger problems anyways.

[kab21]

 

From the current CBA, pretty clear Mauer can't take much of a pay cut on any extension.

Great job at finding the actual clause in the CBA that was referenced a few times in this thread but either ignored or disagreed that existed. At the minimum it saves the Twins from doing anything stupid like signing a 34 yr old to an extension that guarantees money through the end of his age 37 season.

[Mr. Brooks]

Great job at finding the actual clause in the CBA that was referenced a few times in this thread but either ignored or disagreed that existed. At the minimum it saves the Twins from doing anything stupid like signing a 34 yr old to an extension that guarantees money through the end of his age 37 season.

That clause clearly states "reserve players". Mauer is not a reserve player.

That clause is for pre ARB guys.

[kab21]

 

That clause clearly states "reserve players". Mauer is not a reserve player.
That clause is for pre ARB guys.

The 40 man roster is the list of reserve players. It includes everybody.

[crop duster]

The 40 man roster is the list of reserve players. It includes everybody.

Correct.

[DaveW]

Let him"hit" FA and sign him for 2/17- 2/25 depending on how next year goes.

[D. Hocking]

They should sign him now, he is going to be a lot more expensive in a couple of months when is the 2017 World Series MVP.

 

[i agree with most - would wait to see if he stays on track next year and then try to come up with  a  two year deal].

[kab21]

 

Let him"hit" FA and sign him for 2/17- 2/25 depending on how next year goes.

I really don't see the downside of waiting. If he has another great year next year, is a different team really going to offer him 15-20M/yr? Very unlikely. He would still be a 35+ yr old 1B that hits 10 HR/yr. He is going to finish with about 2.5 WAR this year and this has been his best season since 2013 (a much better season).

[laloesch]

 

Car dealerships and homes in Florida can be added to that list.

 

I was about to say the same thing.  He owns a couple of houses in Minnesota but barely spends anytime there except during the season.  Mauer really isn't a Minnesotan anymore he's a Floridian.

[kab21]

 

I was about to say the same thing.  He owns a couple of houses in Minnesota but barely spends anytime there except during the season.  Mauer really isn't a Minnesotan anymore he's a Floridian.

This really isn't true. I don't spend any time in Minnesota but I still consider myself a Minnesotan. And winter sucks in Minnesota. 

[Mr. Brooks]

The 40 man roster is the list of reserve players. It includes everybody.

Ok, my bad.