I think Mauer is the Twins best 1B and could win a gold glove at 1st if he played the position every day.Pretty sure he's in the bottom of most defensive category's as a catcher at this point. Furthermore, do the Twins want to risk another bi-lateral whatever fiasco? So I challenge the idea that he has his most value behind the plate. His value is in his health and his .400 OBP and his potential gold glove level defense at 1B. Him catching has become a liability. There is simply too much money involved and he's not so good defensively at the catcher position anymore. It happens. He was always big for a catcher so maybe it caught up to him a little sooner than some, but it's really about the money. Obviously, the Twins can't say this stuff publicly because of the Morneau Parmalee glut at 1st and the long list of Twins position players that would probably be better served as DH, but I expect in time Mauer will be the Twins starting 1B.