It's not that Joe "wanted" or "needed" more money or a large contract. His production on the field said that he had earned a contract of that size. The MLBPA is very much against most "hometown" discounts and agents are constantly trying to squeeze every last penny for their clients. With these forces at work it is often inevitable that a player takes the highest paying deal. Of course there can be and are other influences, but money is a big one. Imagine what Mauer would have received on the open market. Would it have been $200 million+? I liked Joe when he was drafted and debuted with the team, but as the article stated, I am one of those who have become a bigger Mauer defender because of the many attacks against him, even when I sometimes agree with a point or two. The bottom line however, is that Mauer is a heck of a ball player and I enjoy watching him play. Even more so on teams filled with subpar players. My hope is that we an turn this thing around, so when I look back on Mauer's career it's not with pity.