Odds & Ends: Mauer, Towers, Joba

Some links to peruse in between innings of the Cards/Dodgers game….

• Barry M. Bloom at MLB.com writes that Twins catcher Joe Mauer is concerned with "winning, not fame." Mauer's willingness to fly under the radar might be good news for Minnesota fans worried that the batting champ will eventually leave town for a larger market. Of course, I'm sure knocking off the Yankees would help too.
• No one thinks former Padres' GM Kevin Towers will be out of work for long. Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that Towers should be the first choice for any team seeking a general manager. The New York Post's Bart Hubbuch adds that he expects Towers to join the Mets' front office, since Omar Minaya's tenuous grasp on his job could result in an eventual promotion for Towers.
• Joel Pineiro tells MLB.com's Tom Singer that developing a sinker was the key to his 2009 success. Singer points out that Pineiro leads all free agent starters in a handful of categories this year, including baserunners allowed. The 31-year-old righty will get a chance to prove his effectiveness on a bigger stage this weekend against the Dodgers.
• Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe speculates on Joba Chamberlain's 2010 role, wondering if "the pitcher Red Sox fans love to hate may be no better than a set-up man after all."
• Baseball America's Aaron Fitt views the settlement between the NCAA and Andy Oliver as a "return to status quo" for the draft's "no agent" rule, but doesn't anticipate it lasting long.
• We've heard some rumblings that Oakland's David Forst might be in the mix for the Padres' vacant GM spot. ESPN.com's Rob Neyer wonders, if it's true, why the Padres wouldn't just hire the ex-A's assistant GM they already have: Paul DePodesta.