Joe Mauer prefers to stay with the Twins and will accept less money on his next contract to do so, but wants negotiations to begin this fall, according to a local source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Mauer becomes a free agent after next season and the source said if the Twins don’t have a new contract done by January 1, 2010 it could mean losing the All-Star catcher and three time batting champion. “The Twins could be completely out (from future negotiations),” the source said.
Under baseball rules only the Twins are allowed to negotiate with Mauer until after next season. Mauer wants to see what the Twins have to offer and may accept a seven year, $150 million deal (with potential extra compensation) to keep him with the home town team, according to the source who also said that another organization might offer 10 years, $270 million. The Twins offer could include financial incentives for winning a batting title or playing in so many games.
The figure of $270 million would make Mauer, 26, close to the highest paid player in baseball history. Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees earns $27.5 million per year. Mauer is finishing up a four year, $33 million contract, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts.
The source said Mauer and a family member returned to Minneapolis from Baltimore on Friday after meeting with agent Ron Shapiro. That meeting is believed to have established off season negotiating strategy before Mauer heads to his winter home in Florida.
Mauer won the American League Outstanding Player Award recently in a vote by players and later this month could win the AL MVP award. Mauer is not only near the top on any list of baseball’s best players, he’s also extraordinarily popular in Minnesota where his departure would be a mega public relations and box office problem for the Twins.
The source believes, however, that the right offer, not necessarily the highest among all teams, will keep Mauer here. “I think it will because he really wants to stay with the Twins,” the source said.