What they're saying about the Joe Mauer deal

Mauer big.jpg As the foremost Twins dude on the Internets I defer to Aaron’s take on the Mauer deal. But others have weighed in too. Let’s take a look-see:

Rob Neyer (on Twitter): “I say there’s at
least a 50/50 chance that Twins are regretting the Mauer contract by
2016.” [Rob’s longer take is here]

J.C. Bradbury: “I worry that the Twins may have stretched a bit here with this long-term
commitment . . . But the Twins are one of the best-managed organizations in baseball, so I
think they deserve the benefit of the doubt.”

Matthew Carruth, FanGraphs: “In the short term, this deal is fair to both sides. Where it might get
dicey is down the line when Mauer reaches his mid-30s. I don’t think him
staying at catcher is needed for this to work out though. Mauer’s bat
is good enough to stand a move to first base and he would benefit from a
likely increase in playing time. My concern is simply that for being on
the hook for eight years and giving him a full no trade clause, I feel
the Twins should have gotten a bit more of a discount.”

SethSpeaks: “Yes, this deal
is more than just about baseball, but from a purely baseball aspect,
it isn’t
a great deal.”

Twinkie Town: “I can’t tell you how ecstatic I am about this. Right now, this looks
like a fantastic deal for both sides. It’s a very fair deal,
particularly when you expect baseball’s financial market to rebound in
coming seasons. As long as Joe stays healthy, that is.”

Only Baseball Matters: “That’s how you handle a once-in-a-generation talent. Teams that are
run by real general managers, and owned by real men who know what the
hell they are doing, understand this.”

TYU: “Yankee fans who were planning on acquiring him to replace Jorge Posada
will have to look elsewhere.”

Mark Steyn: “more bureaucracy, massive IRS expansion, explosive debt, the end of the
Pax Americana, and global Armageddon.”

That last one was about health care reform, not Mauer specifically. I include it, though, because what with the global Armageddon and all, it’s not like the Twins will really have to worry about the back end of the Mauer contract. Total win-win for Minnesota, really.

The Yankees appear to have moved on from free agent Manny Machado this winter, but could they be turning their attention to Rockies superstar Nolan Arenado? That’s the idea floated by Andy Martino of SNY, who hears that GM Brian Cashman has been involved in recent discussions concerning the third baseman. No official comments have been made to the press yet, though, and it’s not clear whether the Yankees would prefer to pursue Arenado prior to the 2019 season or partway through it.

The 27-year-old infielder earned his fourth consecutive All-Star nomination, Silver Slugger, and Gold Glove award in 2018 after slashing .297/.374/.561 with 38 home runs, a .935 OPS, and 5.7 fWAR across 673 plate appearances. There’s no question he’s provided immense value to Colorado’s lineup over the last half-decade, and his consistency and incredible power at the plate helped form the basis of the record $30 million arbitration figure he presented to the team last week. The Rockies countered at $24 million, however, and in doing so may have jeopardized their chances of convincing the infielder to forego free agency in 2020 and take a long-term deal instead.

Assuming he declines to negotiate an extension with the Rockies, Arenado’s decorated résumé and career-best 2018 numbers should attract plenty of interest around the league — a reality that could put considerable pressure on the Yankees (or any other interested party) to finesse a deal sooner rather than later. For now, the club is prepared to enter the 2019 season with hot-hitting third baseman Miguel Andújar, whom Martino speculates would be the “centerpiece” of any trade with Colorado.