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The career of Joe Mauer has been one that’s seen plenty of highs over his 13 seasons, but injuries and the inevitable aging process have taken their toll. Beginning as the hometown kid who was the top pick in the 2001 Draft, he was a popular figure who was a six-time All-Star and winner of the 2009 American League Most Valuable Player award.

That accolade was why the Twins, never known to throw money around, signed Mauer to an eight-year, $184 million contract. All those concerned breathed a sigh of relief at the time, assuming that it would help keep a future Hall of Famer in the fold.

The Decline Begins

Part of the supposed value of that deal was that having a power-hitting catcher who hits for average was a rare commodity that often arrives only once in a generation. However, the power shown by Mauer during that MVP season effectively disappeared and has never returned.

Meanwhile, a 2013 concussion eventually moved Mauer to first base and has affected his RBI numbers, a slide that continued through the 2016 campaign. Problems like blurred vision have been connected to that issue, so to combat it, he became a more aggressive hitter. That only boosted his strikeout numbers.

Now, instead of building on a resume that points Mauer toward Cooperstown, the only thing the Twins are seeing is the $23 million per season that they’re contracted to pay Mauer for the next two years.

The Hovering Contract

That’s brought questions about whether it would be better for all involved if Mauer simply retired. Mauer has been loyal to a single team, though that loyalty presumably doesn’t extend to magnanimously walking away from $46 million so that another rebuilding effort can be expedited.

While Mauer has a no-trade clause in his contract, there would be no chance that any team would take on the remaining $46 million on his deal, unless Minnesota paid a good chunk of that amount. Given the Pohlad family’s long aversion to paying anything more than absolutely necessary, that idea is simply a non-starter.

Mauer’s offensive production isn’t necessarily terrible, but it’s simply not worth what the Twins are paying him. The fact that he turns 34 next April and has been on the decline the past few years are fairly strong indicators that his numbers at the plate won’t improve.

The Reality

The fact is that Mauer should retire, yet the reality is that the Twins will likely have to bite the bullet until the end of the 2018 season. Finding someone to improve on his numbers will cost money in the form of a free agent, yet the team would still be on the hook for Mauer’s contract. Unless new Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey has a silver tongue that can convince him to retire, the best option is to develop someone to replace him by the end of 2018.