Mauer to Joe C: Contract talks haven't started

This whole waiting for Mauer info thing is killing me. KILLING ME. By the way, I’m not quite sure what effect Lackey’s contract would have on Mauer’s.

I’m glad the meeting went well with Pavano. As an O’s fan (who is on a break), I heartily recommend we NOT get Bedard. He’s good, mind you, when he’s healthy — a steadily more infrequent occurance — but he’s always had a pretty inflated idea of his own worth. He’ll be more expensive than he’s worth, and I don’t think he’ll listen to Rick Anderson.

Joe Mauer will be back. He told Jason, who told me.

I intend to pollute Mauer’s locker with shedded beard follicles for years to come…

Picture there might be a lot of wait-and-see, that might not work in a player’s favor this year.

Though the Twins did have a modest increase in attendance and 2010 looks to be a reward year (though ticket packages are still available).

The free-agent class is slim for big contracts.

Looks like many players may be non-tendered…correct me, can players STILL resign with their clubs at a lower rate before spring training, or was that just a dream I ahd?

Why would the Twins abosrb Uggla’s arbitration for a year…unless he was just a stopgap and moved to third?

Does baseball need a salary minimum as well as a cap?

He is going into his contract year and will hit free agency. He will look at all of his offers and take the best one. Who knows? If the Yankees offered him $35 million per year, anybody would have to take that.

Why should anyone give a hometown discount of $20 million or whatever? That’s crazy.

Let Joe be Joe. Prove to Joe that the Twins can and will win it all. Get some top-flight pitchers.

You can still be the biggest fish in Minnesota, while in Boston you MAY be one of many big fish. Yes, there is a difference between $20 and $25 million a year. There’s always the desire to be on a winner, and a championship winner at that. Plus, bigger markets also mean bigger endorsements and also a more national presence.

We all talk about the hometown team, maybe a discount, becoming a “partner” in a sense with the Twins for the remainder of his career/life. Who’s to say that wouldn’t happen elsewhere — New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles or even Philadelphia.

The big hurdle is the number on the contract. And whatever team would sign Mauer has to look at him as something special beyond the team payroll…something long-term and good for the team (i.e., team hopefully = Twins).

If the Twins sign Mauer…they have to say this is above-and-beyond. Joe and They will work to make this work and not strap the team finances in any way…even if he would (arrgh!) get injured.