Joe Mauer signs a 4 year extension with the Twins

by Adam J. Morris on Feb 11, 2007 1:57 PM CST in News

The Twins and Joe Mauer have agreed to a 4 year, $33 million contract extension.

Nice deal for Mauer...he gets $3.75 million this year, $6.25 million in 2008, $10.5 million in 2009 and $12.5 million in 2010, along with possible incentives.

There's a bit of risk here for the Twins...Mauer is just 23, but he's had some injury issues, and as a catcher, he's got more risk of injury than most. Still, Mauer was one of the best players in the A.L. last year, and between his bat and his play behind the plate, if he can stay healthy, he should be worth every penny to Minnesota...

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Free agent value

Interesting they pegged his free agent value at $12.5 mil. That should help the Rangers with Young.

by AZranger on Feb 11, 2007 2:45 PM CST reply actions

Young

I don't see how this deal has any impact on what Young might get.

It sure doesn't have the impact the Chase Utley deal did.

by BurntOrange on Feb 11, 2007 3:03 PM CST up reply actions

It's a premium player and a free agent year

Why wouldn't it have as much impact as any of the others?

If anything, Mauer has MORE value on the open market than Young does. That he gave up a free agent year for 12.5 mil should help further define the market.

by AZranger on Feb 11, 2007 3:12 PM CST up reply actions

But

he's not negotiating from the same position of strength a free agent has. This deal is about his financial security more than purely maximizing his income.

by a bebop a rebop on Feb 11, 2007 3:17 PM CST up reply actions

Of course

All the negotiations we're talking about (Mauer, Young, Utley) fall into that category.

Plus, I'm not so sure Mauer gave a discount - kind of like Teixeira's 2-year deal last year. The Twins give security in exchange for the year of free agency. The Rangers got cost control and avoided the arb process in exchange for lesser security.

From the ESPN article:

"This is a market deal," general manager Terry Ryan said. "Don't worry about that."

by AZranger on Feb 11, 2007 3:49 PM CST up reply actions

My bad

I was thinking Young post-2008.

But still, what BurntOrange said in his comment below applies, that Mauer's free agency years are further away, and anyway Utley's a much better comp.

by a bebop a rebop on Feb 11, 2007 6:43 PM CST up reply actions

Mauer

He gave up a free agent year that is further out into the future than Young would be, and generally the longer out you go, the bigger the discount. Also, while Mauer is a premium player, he is still young, and younger players generally take a bigger discount to lock into the guaranteed money this early in their careers. There's no better example of that than the contracts Hudson, Mulder and Zito signed in Oakland early in their careers.

And, again, on top of all that, there's no way a Joe Mauer contract is close to being as relevant to what Mike Young may ask for than the Chase Utley deal.

by BurntOrange on Feb 11, 2007 3:51 PM CST up reply actions

Not sure about that

First of all, Utley and Mauer are both 3 years from free agency, while Young is 2 years away. Shouldn't make much difference - but if it's a noticeable difference for Mauer, it is for using Utley as a comp as well.

And other than position (middle infield) why is Utley a closer comp? He has more power than the other two, although I expect Mauer will get there. Both contracts should help define the market. Of course Young will look at the larger contract, and the team the lower one.

As for the younger player taking a bigger discount - agree in part. Mauer's career earnings are about $6 mil, Young's about $11 mil, Utley's about $3 mil - all including draft signing bonuses. That's the more important factor - security for their families - than age by itself. Hence the reason why Teixeira wasn't motivated to sign a Blalock/Young type deal (he already pocketed $10 mil in the draft).

by AZranger on Feb 11, 2007 7:21 PM CST up reply actions

Worth every penny and much more

if he's healthy.

by t ball on Feb 11, 2007 7:24 PM CST reply actions

I don't know

I have to think I like this deal much more for Mauer than the Twins.

And obviously, like Adam said, that's a pretty big if...

I looked around the Duff boards after watching her on TRL.

by Brian Thomas on Feb 11, 2007 8:24 PM CST up reply actions

Good deal for both sides

methinks. Tie up an mvp-caliber player at a reasonable price, taking on some risk in the process. Pecota puts his value at $140 million over that time, according to mlbtraderumors. Pecota likes him even more than I do, and those numbers obviously don't translate completely to a player who wasn't a free agent, but this is one of the top players in baseball at one of the most valuable positions on the field.

If he stays healthy, it's a good deal for all. And I'm sure that the Twins are hoping that they'll be able to afford to resign him again after the new stadium opens in 2010. I think it's more likely they'll keep him then Santana.

by t ball on Feb 11, 2007 9:38 PM CST up reply actions

Yeah but the Twins already had him tied up

And they take all the risk.

Aren't those numbers about what he could expect to get in arbitration? If not, then I can see their motivation, although the savings can't be much. Otherwise, the only positive I can see in this move is a little good will, which they probably didn't need since he is a hometown boy.

Just like the Teixera deal, only worse, since it's for 4 years and for a previously injured catcher.

I looked around the Duff boards after watching her on TRL.

by Brian Thomas on Feb 12, 2007 11:09 AM CST up reply actions