Each one of Joe Mauer’s nearly 8,000 career plate appearances has come in a Minnesota Twins uniform. The St. Paul native has said in the past in stating that he can’t see himself playing anywhere other than Minnesota if he’s to continue his career beyond the 2018 campaign — the final season of a franchise-record eight-year, $184MM contract. But while Mauer has previously said he’d like to continue playing, he took a more cautious approach in speaking with La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune yesterday.
“There’s a lot [more] that goes into it than just, ‘Do you want to play?” Mauer replied when asked about continuing his career. “There’s a lot of different dynamics that go into it. I owe it to myself and my family to sit down and think about those things.”
Specifically, the 35-year-old Mauer goes on to cite yet another concussion that he suffered when making a diving attempt at a foul ball behind first base this past May, as well as the expected arrival of his third child this coming November. Mauer was well on his way to becoming one of the the best-hitting catchers in Major League history (and still can be considered as such, albeit over a shorter period than many expected) when a long-running series of concussions forced him out from behind the plate and began a decline in his offensive output.
To his credit, Mauer may have performed a bit better than some would expect since changing positions. He’s posted slightly above-average overall numbers at the plate (.276/.358/.387; 104 OPS+), including a particularly solid .305/.384/.417 slash last season. There’s no dodging the fact, though, that his bat hasn’t produced at anywhere near its once-elite levels. And while he quickly became a strong defensive first baseman, that decline in offense is all the more glaring when considering the manner in which he moved down the defensive spectrum from catcher to first base.
None of that is to suggest that Mauer can’t still provide some value to the 2019 Twins (or, in the event of a dramatic shift in thinking, to another team). He’s turned in 10.3 wins above replacement from 2014-18, per Baseball-Reference (6.3, per Fangraphs). He’s also still a solid source of on-base percentage who rarely strikes out and is known for making opposing pitchers work (4.19 pitches per appearance — 14th-best in the Majors). That said, if he were to return for a 16th big league season, it would assuredly be at a significantly reduced rate.
As for whether the Twins’ front office would want him back, both chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine expressed to Neal that they’re open to bringing the former No. 1 overall pick back in 2019.
“If he came with us with the question you posed, ‘I’d like to play another season, what does that look like?’ I think we’re rolling up our sleeves and having a conversation with him,” said Levine. Falvey added that Mauer has “earned the right to have that conversation at his own pace” and that the team “fully supports” Mauer’s preference to make that an offseason decision rather than one they’ll discuss in September.
In the event that Mauer does decide to hang things up, the Twins will have some internal options to replace him. Logan Morrison’s $8MM mutual option will presumably be bought out following an injury-ruined season, but Tyler Austin has performed reasonably well since being traded over from the Yankees (.243/.313/.541 through 83 PAs). Miguel Sano has experience at first base and is likely better suited in the long run playing there than at third base. The free-agent market offers some potential platoon partners for Austin (e.g. Matt Adams), and the trade market, too, will present numerous options.
All of that cart-before-horse talk should be put on hold, however, as Mauer’s ultimate decision will undoubtedly impact the manner in which Falvey, Levine and the rest of the front office go about constructing a 2019 roster they hope can atone for a disappointing 2018 campaign in Minneapolis.
Worst contract ever for a team?????? Vernon Wells was value compared to what he’s done.
His skills completely eroded years ago. His numbers are like a back up middle infielder or a back up catcher. It’s unbelievable how worthless he is.
He’s quietly been an elite defensive 1B. Surely doesn’t make up for his league average bat but he sures saves runs.
An average starting catcher hits at somewhere around 10 to 15 percent worse than a league-average rate for all positions. Mauer’s been slightly above league-average (regardless of position) since moving to first base and hit .313/.399/.439 in the first three seasons of the deal as a catcher. The “backup infielder or catcher” comparison isn’t close to accurate by any measure.
Sure, he wasn’t worth $184MM over the life of the deal. But “worthless” is a gross exaggeration for a guy who’s hit .289/.372/.405 over an eight-year term and the kind of hot take that the Skip Bayless-es of the world scream while being paid as professional trolls.
Mauer isn’t even the worst contract the Twins have had in the past eight years (sorry Phil Hughes — injuries suck), let alone the worst contract ever.
I’d argue the Nolasco deal was worse than the Hughes contract. At least Hughes had a couple productive years. Nolasco was terrible throughout.
Sure, it’s another contender. My thought with Hughes was that he was so good in year one that they ripped up the final two years and signed him to a $55MM extension — after which he immediately got succumbed to thoracic outlet syndrome, which looks to more or less have ruined his career. I genuinely feel for Hughes, but the five seasons of that contract will yield virtually no value.
Nolasco was objectively terrible there, though. Far closer to “worthless” than Mauer has been, even if the contract was clearly on a smaller scale.
Phil Hughes’ initial contract was fine. It was the unnecessary extension that Terry Ryan gave him that was the killer.
I’d like him to either retire, sign with an NL team, or sign with my Indians. He has absolutely destroyed Cleveland his entire career, even this year. I swear that his entire .300 lifetime BA comes at the expense of the Tribe.
We don’t want Joe no matter what his career average against us is.
Have you forgotten that his career average was well over .320 before he signed this deal?? He used to be a regular .300 hitter who walked more than he struck out … now he’s an offensive liability in that he strikes out way too much, can’t hit home runs, and drives in runs like a backup catcher.
He doesn’t strike out too much
Drives in runs? He’s a lead off hitter…
Not even close to being the worst contract ever. In today’s MLB alone there’s Tulowitzki, Ellsbury, Darvish, Melancon, Sandoval, Davis, and Bailey that have worse contracts for their team compared to Mauer.
Chris Davis of the Orioles is by far the worst contract ever.
Tulo is providing 0 value at least. Davis is providing negative value.
Can’t really say that about the Davis contract. We’ll have to see how it plays out. And his second half this year suggests it might not be as horrific as it started.
Digging up some older deals here but what about Ryan Howard, Albert Belle (only five years), Mike Hampton. And what of Pujols?
Moving to a bigger ballpark didn’t help him either.
Stop embarrassing yourself Joe. Put a fork in it…..
I see so many comments along these lines when talking about Mauer that they genuinely make me curious: why do you think hitting .291/.366/.398 over the past two seasons is “embarrassing”?
He’s not an elite performer anymore, obviously. But should someone be embarrassed for being a moderately above-average hitter while playing quality defense at his position?
Mauer won’t be worth near what his contract is paying him over that time, no doubt. But that’s true of dozens of players throughout the league. He’s 24th in the Majors in on-base percentage (and in batting average, for those who care about that) dating back to 2017. Even if he’s not hitting for power, that’s a strange thing to call “embarrassing.”
Steve – you have to understand the Minnesota sports fan, and the vocal few. Had Mauer signed with Boston back in 2009, the same people who hate Mauer would have whined about “the cheap Pohlads.” To the casual Twins fan, the homerun is the only thing that matters. They loved Brian Dozier hitting 42 of them back in 2016 – even though his horrible first half that season killed any momentum from 2015; and even though most of those solo homeruns were hit in August and September, after they were long out of the race. Trading Dozier was bad, according to these people. Dozier, who during his career has the worst late and close (clutch) statistics in the game during that time, was a hero. Mauer, who is one of the best hitters with runners in scoring position, is hated because he doesn’t hit many home runs. They complain that he only has 43 RBIs this year. He’s been batting leadoff, and due to Buxton’s and Sano’s failures, Castro’s injury, and other issues this year, he’s only had 92 plate appearances with runners in scoring position. Oh, and they remember every double play he hits into – but Dozier always got the free pass. One last thing – they complain that he wasn’t worth the money. Part of a contract extension is usually payment for past-performance while on major league minimum. The same stupid comments litter the Minneapolis and St Paul newspapers websites.
Yup, Minnesota has the only stupid sports fans in the entire country. Come on.
I don’t need to understand anything about Minnesota sports fans. I was born in St. Paul and spent the first 28 years of my life in Minnesota before moving to New York.
I’d say your disdain of Dozier, the best non-Mauer player they’ve had since Morneau’s own concussion troubles torpedoed his career, is equally puzzling to the Mauer dislike, though you’re not the only MN native I know who harbors similar feelings.
I think much of what you’re describing is just how sports fans in general view the game. Everyone is likable until they’re paid near the top of the league, and then if they don’t maintain an MVP or Cy caliber level of output, they become a “bum” — which seems to be everyone’s favorite choice insult because their dads and a bunch of crotchety old sports-talk radio guys use that term rather than use actual reason and logic when looking at a player/team/manager.
Digression aside: Mauer and Dozier were both real good players for most of their Twins tenure, and Twins fans were generally fortunate to have both, even if the team itself was unsuccessful during much of their respective peaks.
For Joltin’ Joe, it’s all about the size and length of the contract. See, we were sold a bill of goods by Twin’s Management and ownership. They GOT the state subsidized stadium they wanted (and both fans and players enjoy the crisp – or frozen – days of playing outdoor baseball in Minnesota during April) but they failed miserably to build a contending team around Joe. Although a standout at catcher, once the concussion issues relegated him to 1B, he became an ordinary player, as opposed to a League standout when he was catching. For all those bucks to Joe, the fans are used to seeing long balls in the tradition of: Killebrew, Hrbek, Gaetti, Pucket. Sorry, while 20 a year would have been palatable, 6 doesn’t make it. Also there is the tough as nails Viking influence, where the footballers went out and played half dead, while Joe has been no stranger to the disabled list during his tenure with the Twins. For goodness sake, Tony-O could still outperform many of his contemporaries on virtually one leg. And the fans loved him for his sacrifice (and still do)!
Steve is from Minnesota. I think he understands, hence his input in the comment section
It’s unbelievable. Yes we paid Joe $28 mil a year and it turned out to not be the greatest of all deals. It still turned out to not be an albatross deal either. He still contributed every year of the deal has an average to above average regular and it was usually above average mind you. Joe and Dozier will always be remembered for their contributions to the team and for all the memories they gave us. I promise you Joe would have made that deal look like a steal if he didn’t have those concussion problems.
Very good points. Do these people think they’d be better off with more ABs for Logan Morrison?? C’mon…
Thank you, Steve. I was just about to pitch in on that too.
HOF? I think so, it’ll be close. Definitely not first couple ballots.
Nope, not really close in my opinion. He was on his way but as with many it’s a long haul to get to Cooperstown.
I just re-evaluate Mauer and I actually believe he has a “chance” to make it but it’s going to take some time and they’ll need to be a weak class or two.
I don’t know, he’s had a truly elite period of play and has been useful ever since. Based on WAR he makes it for sure. he may need another season or two for certainty.
Please- this is not a HOF player. I love it when posts have no stats to back up their atatement. Mauer has 2100 hits. Give me 2500 and then he might have a chance. The way he is hitting that will take 5 years to get there.
Agreed, I think he’ll obviously be in the Twins Hall of Fame and maybe someday they’ll even put a statue of the homegrown Mauer at Target Field, but Cooperstown? No.
If he would have stayed at catcher — even if he experienced the similar “drop off” in production — that might have improved his chances, even with lesser “counting stats”. Whether you go by traditional stats or advanced stats, he looks like he’s not quite at the borderline, especially now that he’s been an first baseman about 40% of the time now. I almost forgot that it’s been over five years since he’s been a full-time catcher.
Out of respect to Mauer, I think the FO will let him decide, and if he wants to come back, they’ll accommodate that (in a much lesser role at a much lower salary). The kneejerk part of me that thinks he should retire is also the sentimental part of me that remembers his entire career since I’ve lived in the Twin Cities, including his 2009 season. Overpaid? Probably. A horrible, albatross contract? Hardly.
I don’t want to push somebody out the door that’s done a lot for the team, especially the rare players who spend their entire career with a team; the fan in me always comes first. If he was way below average, that’s one thing, but if he wants to play another season, splitting time with Tyler Austin or somebody else wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
Johnny Bench – 2048 H. Gary Carter – 2092 H. Mike Piazza – 2127 H. Yogi Berra – 2150 H. All HOF catchers.
How’s that atatement?
He’s a very good player, but not a HOF’er. Sort of like a Bill Buckner, Don Mattingly or not quite as good as Jim Rice.
Good guy though and cool that he only played for his hometown team.
The Twins have to hope he retires, don’t they? It would make things a lot easier on them.
He’s more productive than the usual 1B/DH suspects who populate the FA market every winter, and he’s definitely a better option than Morrison. I can see MIN bringing him back on a one-year deal to platoon with Austin and DH otherwise.
No, they want a Season Of Adulation And Recognition to sell. Plus they can adjust his playing time as the fortunes of his heirs ebb and flow. Was there anyone else in 2018 who could have stayed at 1B for more than a month? LoMo? Sano? The kid from NY? There’s no plan yet so they may as well crank up the marketing and go find a 3B that’s not made of glass.
I never did get the haters…The guy’s been a class act all his career; ya, he fell a little short of the superstar the contract called for, but Mauer is FAR from being the only one….
But I agree he should retire….Twins have to move on, and his signing somewhere else would be “uncomfortable”….besides the market for corner IFs ain’t what it used to be….
so adam jones supposedly is benched over vetoing a trade but mauer’s was never considered in a trade….
The Jones thing was just bizarre….but I’m convinced Monty Python is running the O’s front office. I realize that DD and Buck are both (deservedly so) highly respected, but they need some fresh voices. Sometimes you DO make a change just to make a change.
I think we discovered that “they’re athletes; they want to compete” is a bunch of bush-wah. They want their money; they want to be comfortable. And who wants to play in Boston or New York, where every time you fart there’s 5 reporters smelling it to see where it came from.
Can’t say I blame them; I’d probably chose the same path. There’s some truth to the Joey Votto syndrome….being a big fish in a small pond is a good thing.
Solid hitter, was a sold catcher and would be going to Cooperstown had he remained a catcher (injuries and ROI forced him to 1B).
Current numbers will have him fall short. Similar to what Don Mattingly was at 1B; for a brief period he was the best at his position.
I hope that Maurer does retire after this season (and not just bc I agree with Ghost about his career against the Tribe. All small market teams like the Twins, Indians, Rays, etc. need a hometown hero to be the face of the franchise. Joe has been that and has had a great career. He would be a good selection to work with younger players in the Twins organization in a player development position.
After yet another concussion here in 2018 – the lingering effects of which are affecting his performance this season, Joe needs to prioritize his long term health. Now is the time to walk away with head held high, rather than be forced out by yet another concussion or the continued erosion of his skills. With the increasing alarming data relative to the negative long term effects of concussions, Joe needs to keep his loved ones in mind and do what he can to maximize his long term mental health. He really has nothing to gain by playing any additional years for the Twins. No World Series in the immediate future. No statistics of note to attain. No financial need to continue playing. No ability to play with/under Jake. No embarrassment at the $$ level of a new contract. Retiring now will be a proactive move that will have a positive impact on Joe’s long term mental wellness..
I’m a Mauer fan. It’s been great to watch such a talented and respectable baseball player from St Paul over the years. I’d love to see more. But I’ve got to reluctantly agree that his long term mental health is so much more important than any desire to his career longer than is good for him. Not that I matter but I will support whatever decision he makes.
Still don’t get why Joe Mauer didn’t play catcher. All because he got a couple concussions? Suzuki has a concussion every year and he’s still catcher.
I would’ve told Mauer he’s play catcher until the end of his contract. And if he didn’t like it, he could restructure his contract or simply retire.
You’re an idiot. Go look into any of the recent work on concussions: if he stays behind the plate he’s more and more susceptible to getting more of them, they usually get worse each time, and recovery periods get longer. Instead of the years of fair production at 1B he provided you’d have added maybe another year of poor production behind the plate plus get to try negotiating a buyout of the $70-80m remaining on the deal before he had to go home. Fine way to treat the local hero.
I love seeing Joe Mauer play baseball. I think Molitor has him out of the lineup too often. Too many days off. Did Joe request that? He’s only a year removed from a .305 BA and does as well as a lead off hotter as anyone I see in the league.
His career average is over .300. Though that is not quite Tony Gwynn numbers, who hits .300 any more? His strikeouts are lower than most any starter in MLB. Again, not at the plateau of Bill Buckner or Tony Gwynn (their low K totals are astounding), but those guys never faced the heat guys like Arodis Chapman bring – hear that has become common in today’s game. Nor did they face regular defensive shifts or 10-man bullpens.