Joe Mauer and Minnesota Twins Sign Eight-Year Deal

Photo: Joe Mauer and I at the 2008 All-Star Game party in New York.

I think it is safe to say that every fan of the Minnesota Twins is now breathing a little easier.

The Twins officially signed catcher Joe Mauer to an eight-year, $184 million contract. The deal, which begins in 2011, will earn Mauer an average of $23 million a season.

Well, I think this is not only great news for the Twins, but great news for baseball as well.

Over the last couple of seasons, we have seen small to mid-market teams lock up their star players. We have seen the Tampa Bay Rays lock up Evan Longoria, the Florida Marlins sign Hanley Ramirez, the Milwaukee Brewers sign Ryan Braun, the St. Louis Cardinals re-sign Matt Holliday, and now the Twins sign Mauer.

These signings are good for baseball, especially Mauer's. I know most New York Yankee and Boston Red Sox fans think it was their right to sign Mauer when he became a free agent at the end of this year, but Mauer belongs in Minnesota.

If Mauer, who is a native of St. Paul, MN, had left the Twins to sign with the Yankees, it would have been a disaster for baseball. If that happened, any revenue sharing or parity jargon that came out of Bud Selig’s mouth would have been tuned out.

Now that Mauer will be in Minnesota for the next eight years, the question is, can the Twins compete with a player taking up 25 percent of their payroll? I am going to say yes for two reasons.

The first is the Twins are the most resourceful team in baseball. They have done more with less than any team over the last 10 years. I have no reason to believe their scouting department won’t continue to find diamonds in the rough.

Second, the Twins’ payroll is around $90 million heading into the 2010 season. With a new stadium, a city that is prospering, and a team that has proven to show a commitment to winning, I fully expect the Twins to increase that payroll to around the $110-120 million mark in the next couple of years.

Kudos to Mauer’s agent Ron Shapiro and his terrible toupee, Twins GM Bill Smith, and Mauer for getting a deal done before Opening Day.

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