Joe Mauer

[RuKiddingMe]

Hey look at this, Mauer is now playing at the right level, the MINORS, right where he belongs...

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_26275402/twins-star-joe-mauer-reports-cedar-rapids-new

[harvey lee]

I know this is hindsight but this was the biggest joke of a contract maybe ever in baseball.

Mauer is done and we still have millions to pay him.

Too bad we could not get rid of him for a little just to eliminate his contract but I see no one wanting anything to do with Joe.

very sad that he is such a injury prone player and if he stubs his toe, he has to have so much time off to rest his ouie.

[JBMasterAngler]

With Suzuki catching now, it's too bad we didn't hold onto Morneau. Post concussion Morneau is still way better (and cheaper) than "glass joe"!

[RumRiverRat]

Joe Mauer does not belong anywhere but the minor leagues.

He is terrible.

I have said it from day one that his contract was absurd and the Twins were incredibly foolish for allowing themselves to be held hostage by a mediocre,injury prone and lazy player.

[mrklean]

We were gonna lose no matter what happened with Mauer, if we let him walk he would be hitting 345 with the yanks or sox and everyone would be saying the Twins never spend any money, instead we signed him to a horrible contract he is horribly underperforming and the Twins suck

[harvey lee]

Boy you got that right. Seems when players leave they do so much better, must be something with the environment with the Twins.

[JBMasterAngler]

I think Mauer would be the exception to that rule. No other team would rub his belly like Gardy and the twins do. He's too soft to respond positively to criticism or a coach/teammate getting in his face. Not to mention sox or yanks fans would be calling for his head!

Worst contract in sports history!

[blue_healer_guy]

Big time, might be the softest player ever, physically and emotionally. For people to really think he was gonna test the open market, yankees, sox, etc, he fooled you just like he did the twinkies. wont call them the twins cuz they too are a bunch of softies.

[JBMasterAngler]

Sounds like he's coming back for the Houston series. What's the over/under he goes on the DL again before the season is over?

I predict he'll sit out the rest of the season for a stomach ache or stubbed toe around the beginning of september.

[deerminator]

Geez. I don't even want all-star #s. Just a guy who can be a leader, play like heck when it matters and help his team win. If he could be a Kent Hrbek, it might even justify paying him what they are. The Twins haven't had a leader, period, in a loooooong time. Those guys in 87 and 91 just did what it took to win. They had the brains, heart and physical ability needed to pull it out when it was needed. Mauer and the rest of the team these days show up. Don't get me wrong, some of them are very good and much better than me. But there just isn't the chemistry and leadership needed to win. That's not Gardy's fault. He's just the manager. The GM and front office need to do some work or just accept losing.

[BartmanMN]

Taking the family to their first and only game of the year on Sunday. I hope softy is back by in the line up by then.

[mnguy152]

I think he be a good player in the beer league softball thats about it. or he needs to to be shacking up with another player. he seems to play better back then.

[BartmanMN]

It was nice to see him swing at a first pitch strike and take it deep yesterday. Lots of home runs yesterday, which made it a good time.

[snagfinder]

Lets all just be thankful we got Joe instead Justin. I mean who would've wanted the current NL

batting champ on our team again.

[JBMasterAngler]

Or last year's batting champ, Michael Cuddyer

[snagfinder]

I forgot about that. Imagine how many more games we could have lost with those two.

But hey on the bright side at least we all have our home town hero.

[JBMasterAngler]

Good news for Joe! He's not the owner of the worst contract in sports history anymore! That dubious title now belongs to Giancarlo Stanton. Something along the lines of 13 years and $315 million. Wow! Just wow!

[nofishfisherman]

The Stanton deal could still end up being alright for the Marlins or it could become the worst contract in the history of sports.

The contract is extremely back loaded and Stanton has an opt out option after I think 6 years. For the next 6 years they'll probably be paying him below market rate giving them more financial flexibility to add talent around him. If Stanton is fed up with the Marlins in a few years he can opt out after 6 years and probably sign another large dollar contract and letting the Marlins off the hook for the bulk of the $325 million. If that happens its a great deal for the Marlins.

Although Stanton could also opt to stay with the Marlins, then they'll be on the hook for the full $325 million and they'll be paying a 39 year old something like $31 million a year. If that happens then there will be talk of the worst contract in history.

[B. Amish]

how many mega deals are "good deals" for the duration of the contract?

[O.T.C.]

I agree B.Amish, but I bet Minnesotan's figured this one can't miss, quality guy, quality catcher, lefty bat, hometown boy, heck Molitor and Winfield and Jack Morris were still doing quality damage late in their careers but...............like many fine athletes a female got in his life and good for Joe that he cares more about her, his kids, his health than being the stud baseball player he once was.

[blue_healer_guy]

he should have thought of that before he stole the money then.

[O.T.C.]

They pointed to where to sign the contract and Joe couldn't write fast enough lol. The move to Target Field has killed him mentally just like any lefty bat in there, unless you're Jim Thome. The controlled dome environment was a hitters paradise, I played their enough to realize how awesome hitting in there was, no sun, no wind, no helicopters,jets,rain, no nothing, just a pure hitters park and opposing teams struggled at times in their defensively. Joe could reach left field easier to the seats, now 95% of those are F-7's. Not catching is hurting him more than helping him also at the plate, seeing the pitches and learning the ump's zone for the day etc. he used those little things to his advantage and should. He'll be an Edgar Martinez soon enough, without power. Runs about as fast also. Regardless of parks the double play killers and strikeouts have nothing to do with the park, it's not being crisp and feeling it at the plate, makes me wonder about some illegal substances that he and morneau maybe were dabbling in b4 the serious testing came about. You can't say I feel great better than ever and perform like he did last year.

[O.T.C.]

Well he can go back into hiding, maybe next year as he's on waivers right now but anybody looking to pay 23 mill for 127 K's, 10 bombs, 65 RBI's and .265 ?  He had 600 at bats this year my word where's the damage ? Led the league as a lefty GIDP. So he'll be back with 3 years to go. The hero or zero game, the must win last wkd and our 3 hitter went 0-4 with 3 K's so he wore the hood in what became our most important game of the year vs. a righty, that loss= season over. If he doesn't go back to catcher idk what to think, but thankfully this seasons over without Ervin on the playoff hill we were doomed anyway.