Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins Reach Ten-Year Extension (or Maybe Not)

Joe Mauer has made it clear that he’d love to stay with the Twins for the foreseeable future.

Earlier this afternoon WCCO-TV of Minneapolis/St. Paul reported that the ball-club had granted that wish by reaching a preliminary agreement on a ten-year extension with the reigning American League MVP.

That claim was quickly refuted via Twitter by ESPN’s Buster Olney.

Olney followed up his initial tweet with a little nugget of hope, seemingly, keeping Minnesotans from leaping into Lake Superior.

“The Twins remain optimistic that a deal will eventually get done, but a deal is not done yet.”

Mauer, 26, is coming off a career-year in which he set highs with 28 home runs, 96 RBI, 191 hits, and 307 total bases despite missing the entire month of April with a back injury.

He made an immediate impact upon returning to the lineup by crushing a home run in his very first at-bat.  

Additionally, he led the AL in the new age Triple Crown categories of batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage by posting a very impressive .365/.444/.587 cumulative batting line.

He is owed $12.5 million in 2010 and it is believed he could make $20-$25 million on the open market next winter.

The usual suspects have been named as potential suitors for Mauer should he hit the market. Teams such as the Yankees, Red Sox, and Mets all figure to be in the market for a catcher in the near future as well.

It was believed that if the Twins were unable to sign Mauer long-term the club would look to trade the three-time batting champion rather than let him walk via free agency.

Depending on MLB&id=3601">which report you read, it would seem the Twins are doing their best to avoid any and all scenarios that involve Mauer taking his sweet swing anywhere but the Twin Cities.

Mauer was born and raised in St. Paul and most of his family and friends still reside in the area, so it seems like a perfect fit for both sides to work out a deal before the season begins to avoid any distractions.