Joe Mauer Reportedly Placed on Trade Waivers by Minnesota Twins

With just two days left before the Major League Baseball waiver deadline, the Minnesota Twins have placed franchise stalwart and 2009 American League MVP Joe Mauer on trade waivers, according to a report from Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. 

The story doesn't end there, as Rosenthal also reports that Mauer could be on the radar for the Boston Red Sox, who are no strangers to major waiver deals:

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The Minnesota Twins placed catcher Joe Mauer on trade waivers Tuesday, according to a major-league source. The Red Sox not only have long-standing interest in Mauer, but also purged more than $275 million in contract obligations last week in their mega-deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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However, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that the Red Sox are not going to claim Mauer on waivers:

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#redsox wont claim mauer on trade waivers. @ken_rosenthal 1st reported he was on waivers.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) August 29, 2012"

That doesn't necessarily mean Mauer won't be traded to the Red Sox, just that he will have to clear waivers in order for the Twins to engage them in talks.

The whole thing sounded a little far-fetched, especially after the Red Sox just got rid of two massive long-term contracts to gain payroll flexibility for the future.

Because the Twins have been so bad the last two years and he battled injuries in 2011, Mauer has actually gone from being one of the best players in the American League to one of the least-talked-about stars in all of baseball. 

In 120 games played this season, Mauer is hitting .309/.403/.425 with 35 extra-base hits and 66 RBI. He is at a crossroads in that he can't catch full-time anymore, so he has to split time at first base and designated hitter. 

The biggest factor working against the Red Sox, or anyone else, in making a deal for Mauer is his contract. He is signed through 2018 at an average annual salary of $23 million. 

The Red Sox just dumped $260 million in contract obligations to get salary relief, so do they really want to invest $136 million in a player like Mauer?

If they get a waiver claim on him, they will have until August 31 to strike a deal. 

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