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Joe Mauer

Odds & Ends: Mauer, Towers, Joba

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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.

Discussion: Dan Uggla

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His name is Dan Uggla, and he can be had for the right price this offseason.  The 29-year-old Florida second baseman has 121 homers and an .826 OPS in his four major league seasons, but between his war of words with Marlins franchise player Hanley Ramirez and the $7-8MM he is likely to earn in arbitration, rumors have been swirling that the Fish are looking to move Uggla out of south Florida before he becomes too pricey for their taste.

FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal listed the Dodgers, Cardinals, Orioles, Twins, Giants and Diamondbacks as possible suitors for Uggla in an article last month.  The Snakes may be out of the running now since, as reported by the Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro, Arizona will likely look at internal candidates to play second base.  Baltimore already has Brian Roberts entrenched at second, but if Uggla was interested in moving to third base he would surely become attractive to even more clubs.

Of the clubs on Rosenthal's list, Minnesota stands out since it's unusual for the small-market Twins to be looking at picking up high-priced talent, rather than moving it themselves.  But with Target Field opening in 2010, the Twins may have some extra revenue to spend on both picking up the tab for Uggla and (the team's top priority) signing Joe Mauer to a long-term contract.  Minnesota has holes at both second and third that Uggla could fill.

Would Uggla fit best on one of the aforementioned six clubs, or is there another team out there with both the money and the need for a slugging second (or third) baseman?

Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Indians Manager, Johnson, Padres GM, Crawford, Mauer

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Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com has a new Full Count video up this afternoon, so let's see what he's got for us…

  • The Indians plan to conduct 8-10 phone interviews for their managerial vacancy, then bring in 3-5 finalists by the third week of October, presumably for formal interviews. Bobby Valentine will be "on the short list," and will almost certainly get an interview. Buck Showalter will not be a candidate.
  • Cleveland is proceeding with the search as if Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell will not be a candidate, however that could change quickly if Farrell expresses interest in the job. At that point, the three parties involved would need to discuss a way around the clause in the Farrell's contract that prohibits him from seeking a managerial job elsewhere.
  • Signing Josh Johnson long-term is the Marlins' top priority this offseason. In order to get a deal done, Florida will need to "exceed significantly" the four year, $38MM deal the Royals gave Zack Greinke, who was at a similar service time level last offseason.
  • If a deal doesn't get done, Johnson will almost certainly not sign an extension next offseason, when he'd be just one year away from free agency. At that point, the Fish would need to trade him.
  • Who will replace Kevin Towers as Padres GM? Paul DePodesta, a special assistant to Towers and former GM of the Dodgers, is not interested in the job. Pat Gillick doesn't figure to be a candidate either.
  • The leading candidate might be Diamondbacks' exec Jerry DiPoto, but the Padres would need approval from the commissioner's office to get him. CEO Jeff Moorad left the D-Backs just last December, and the league frowns upon executives raiding their former teams for front office talent.
  • However, DiPoto has already interviewed for openings with the Nationals and Mariners, so it would be difficult for the D-Backs to make much of a fuss.
  • Carl Crawford is "well intentioned" when he says he wants to sign a long-term extension with Tampa Bay. The problem is that the team probably won't offer him enough to keep him from becoming a free agent at the end of 2010.
  • The bigger question is Joe Mauer, who can also hit free agency next winter. Mauer told The NY Times earlier this week that he is not interested in becoming the highest paid player in the game, even though he probably deserves to be. He is represented by Ron Shapiro, the same agent that kept Cal Ripken Jr. in Baltimore and Kirby Puckett in Minnesota. Shapiro clearly understands the value of a player staying with one team his entire career.
  • Shapiro, father of Indians GM Mark Shapiro, would be "sticking it to his son" a bit by keeping Mauer in the AL Central. That's my phrase, not Rosenthal's.

Mauer “Not Really” Interested In Being Best-Paid

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Allegations of cheating and playoff-type intensity stole headlines throughout the Tigers-Twins series this week, so some telling comments got lost in the shuffle. Joe Mauer told Jack Curry of the New York Times that he's "not really" interested in becoming baseball's highest paid player when he hits free agency (likely after next season). After all, he'll be rich either way.

"I’ve put myself in a pretty good position that, wherever I end up, I think the pay’s going be pretty nice," Mauer said. "I’m more worried about trying to be on winning teams.”

Mauer says he'd probably want assurances from the Twins that the team is committed to building around him before signing a long-term deal with Minnesota. If Mauer does hit free agency after next season, he'll do so as a 27-year-old three-time batting titlist with an excellent defensive reputation and, possibly, an MVP award.

Odds & Ends: Redmond, Mauer, Bay

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Another round of links…

  • Backup catcher Mike Redmond wants to re-sign with the Twins this offseason, according to Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Rookie Jose Morales has been backing Joe Mauer  up lately, so the Twins have options behind the plate.
  • Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press says the Twins "are expected" to try to sign Joe Mauer for about $120MM over seven years after this season. If Mauer hits free agency after next season, he'd probably see multiple offers worth more than $120MM.
  • The Red Sox will have an opening in left field after the season and Curt Schilling knows how he'd attempt to fill it. He said on WEEI's The Dennis & Callahan Show that he'd rather re-sign Jason Bay than pursue Matt Holliday because Bay has proven he can play in Boston.
  • ESPN.com's Keith Law reports that the D'Backs are about to sign their first European player. Andrea Pizziconi, a 17-year-old Italian, has a "promising" slider and may develop into a four-pitch pitcher. 

Twins Rumors: Potential Free Agents, Mauer

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We already know that the Twins weren't able to swing a deal with the Cubs for pitcher Rich Harden today, but the Minnesota rumors don't end there. Let's recap some miscellaneous items…

  • Twins GM Bill Smith said there will be no negotiations with potential free agents Carl Pavano, Orlando Cabrera, Joe Crede, and Mike Redmond until after the season, according to Sid Hartman of The Star Tribune.
  • After word got out that the team has the money to keep megastar Joe Mauer in Minnesota, R.J. Anderson of FanGraphs took a look at the math and says that "unless Mauer really loves the area and takes a team friendly deal, I’m not sure they can meet his market value, and maybe you could argue they shouldn’t given the risks associated with being a catcher."

One thing to remember is that the Twins have brand new Target Field set to open next year, and new stadiums are almost always a cash cow for at least the first few years.

Twins Have Enough Money To Re-Sign Mauer

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There will be a bidding frenzy for Joe Mauer if he hits the free agent market after next season, as anticipated. But the Twins are in a position to make him a strong offer, according to Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press. Team president Dave St. Peter said the team has enough money to keep Mauer around after next year.

The Twins are in the middle of a pennant race thanks in large part to Mauer's season-long hot streak at the plate and strong defense. Mauer says he isn't thinking about his contract status, but he's no doubt boosting his value with his MVP-level play.

Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Penny, Harden, Lidge

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Rumor machine Ken Rosenthal has a new Full Count Video up at FoxSports.com. Let's dive on in…

  • The outcome of this weekend's games could determine which team the recently released Brad Penny signs with. The Giants and Marlins are the two teams pursuing him the most, but the Giants are in a better position in the NL Wildcard standings.
  • The Yankees, Twins, and A's are also expressing interest in the righthander, but "what pitcher in his right mind would want to stay in the American League?"
  • The A's and Padres have even "floated the idea" of signing Penny beyond the rest of this season, but Penny's best bet might be to go to a team like the Giants and reestablish himself in a pennant race, then go back into the free agent pool this winter on a high note.
  • The Cubs are more open to dealing Rich Harden to the Twins than you might think. The Cubs could receive two high draft picks if they offer Harden arbitration after the season and he signs elsewhere, but that's a risky strategy. Given his injury history, the club might not want to take a $10MM or so hit if he accepts, even for only one year.
  • The bigger question with Harden may be how aggressive the Twins will be in trying to deal for him. Remember that stars Justin Morneau and Joe Nathan have said the team needs more to contend, with Morneau mentioning that the team needs to impress Joe Mauer since he's due to become a free agent after next season.
  • Yes, the Yankees were messing with the Red Sox when they claimed Chris Carter off waivers, but Boston's 40-man roster only has 38 players on it at the moment. Daisuke Matsuzaka will assume one of those spots when he comes off the 60-day DL, and the other is reserved for Paul Byrd.
  • People might need to relax when it comes to Brad Lidge's struggles. His recent blown save against the Pirates might be the result of overuse, as Lidge was pitching for the fourth straight day. He had done it twice before this season, but he entered game three of that stretch with a four-run lead. Manager Charlie Manuel may need to be more careful with how he uses his closer down the stretch.

Twins Hope GM Deals For Help

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They're a game under .500, but the AL Central title remains well within reach for the Minnesota Twins. Historically the team has been quiet at the deadline, but the Twins' biggest stars hope this year's different. Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer and Joe Nathan all say they hope GM BIll Smith can add to the team by Friday, according to La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Mauer feels "frustration" every time the team stands pat at the deadline, so Morneau wonders if the star catcher will want to return after 2010, when he becomes a free agent.

"If we don't do anything this year, I can't see how he's going to want to come back and go through this every year," Morneau said.

The Twins, now 4.0 games back of the division lead, are interested in middle infielders and relief pitching. 

Olney On August Moves, Mauer, Indians

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After explaining how Ricky Romero's change-up has become such a weapon, ESPN.com's Buster Olney provides us with some new rumors:

  • We should expect a buyer's market in August when few teams will submit waiver claims on players for fear of getting stuck with a contract they can't afford.
  • Some good news for the Twins fans who are dreading the day Joe Mauer hits free agency: his agent, Ron Shapiro, represented Kirby Puckett and Cal Ripken Jr., who both stayed with one team their entire career. Mauer becomes a free agent after next year.
  • Rafael Betancourt, Carl Pavano and Jamey Carroll could be the next Indians moved. None of the three are under contract for 2010.
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