Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins Reach Preliminary 10-Year Extension Agreement

WCCO TV's Mark Rosen is reporting that catcher Joe Mauer and the Twins have reached a preliminary agreement on a 10-year extension. Mauer will be 37 when the contract expires.

This is the final year of Mauer's current contract and he stood to become one of the most highly sought after free agents in MLB history. Not surprisingly, both the Red Sox and Yankees were believed to have very strong interest in Mauer, should he have been on the open market.

As Rosen points out, "Mauer became only the second catcher in 33 years to win the coveted AL MVP award, finishing first in an almost unanimous vote in November. (Mauer) set a major league record for highest batting average by a catcher and won his third batting title, becoming the first repeat batting champion since Nomar Garciaparra in 1999-00."  

This is a feel good signing for the Twins and Major League Baseball, as a homegrown talent stays with his original team, despite that team being a so-called small market club.

No terms have been reported and no confirmation of this deal has been communicated by the Twins or anyone else. But if true, it would mean that Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez would become the top catcher on the market after this season.

Mauer was drafted as the overall No. 1 selection in the 2001 draft, a controversial pick at the time because many people thought P Mark Prior should have been the first overall pick. Prior went second to the Chicago Cubs.

Prior's career has been riddled with injuries, and he has not pitched in the major leagues since 2006. His 2006 ERA was 7.21.

Joe was born in St. Paul, which makes the deal sweeter for him to stay in Minnesota.

Team officials had expressed optimism over the possibility of an extension with Mauer at the Twins' annual fan festival this past weekend.

Mauer is making $12.5 million this year. My guess would be that a 10-year extension could be worth in the neighborhood of $220 million.