Article: Twins Daily Roundtable: The Looming Mauer Decision

[Mike Sixel]

 

I love me some Rooker and Weil, but calling them back up plans next year is way more opportunistic then I would be willing to go. Remember last year when just about everybody wanted Dozier traded because Gordon was ready? and he was further along then either of them. 

I hope both are rookie of the year candidates next year, but I will not plan on it.

 

Sano, Kepler, Garver, utility infielder are the backups.....Rooker and Weil are the hopeful backup plans. That doesn't work?

[DocBauer]

I'm not convinced he wants to come back. Age, previous injuries, nother injury this season, another baby on the way, his brother choosing to walk away from the grind, financially set, I think there is a real chance he decides it's time.

 

Further, and this is not to bash him as I think he still offers value, what other team is a legitimate fit for him?

 

Mauer's 2017 slash line: .276/ .347/ .374/ .721

Mauer's last 30 days: .271/ .312/ .390/ .702

 

I don't have the numbers available, but I'm pretty darn sure his numbers thjs season were much better prior to his "concussion like" injury. If there was someway to predict we'd see the 2017 Mauer or pre-injury Mauer of 2018, he has real value for his defense, AVG, and OB.

 

NOT saying he will or won't play, or should or shouldn't be signed. And the team could absolutely afford a 1 year deal with zero financial risk. And anywhere close to his 2017 and early 2018 numbers he'd be a FINE stop-gap for 2019. But I'm really starting to believe it's time to look at other options.

[Riverbrian]

 

Can you picture the Twins signing Mauer and adding a 1B/DH?

 

IMO, part of the problem with signing Mauer is they WON'T upgrade. They'll go with Mauer at 1b, and be done with it. And we'll see Ehire Adrianza play games at 1B again, with Robbie Grossman your DH.

 

That is also my fear. 

 

I love Joe... I'm building him a statue but we can't hand cuff him to the new Morrison again and say this year is going to be different. 

 

 

[Number3]

 

Yeah, I'm sure once Mauer is gone, this team will turn right around.

I don't believe I said anything about the team turning right around. I do believe that the team needs a clean slate and a clean frame of mind to be be able to turn around. The Mauer era is over and hopefully the Molitor era is over too.

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

I love me some Rooker and Weil, but calling them back up plans next year is way more opportunistic then I would be willing to go. Remember last year when just about everybody wanted Dozier traded because Gordon was ready? and he was further along then either of them. 

I hope both are rookie of the year candidates next year, but I will not plan on it.

 

Fall back plans are not plans that both would be ROY candidates next year. I should also note that I forgot about Raley. He's going to be in AAA as well I would suspect.

 

You can still sign a 4A type in Rochester as well if you'd want since both Rooker and Weil do play some OF, and Raley is primarily an OF. There's room there to do that at Rochester.

 

As I noted before, I'd have no problems with Mauer as a 1B/3B bench role, but you're not going to get a guy like Cruz on the bench. Fall back plans are precisely that... guys who won't be starting elsewhere. The hope with a fall back plan is that you have someone competent. I guess Mauer could be that if that's what you're arguing. We have 3 decent hitting prospects sitting in AAA next season. That's acceptable depth if you go into the season with Austin and Cruz at 1B/DH and a guy like Mauer on the bench. I'm more worried about depth in CF personally as well as finding a guy like Escobar who can act as a 5th starter in the infield. 

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

I don't believe I said anything about the team turning right around. I do believe that the team needs a clean slate and a clean frame of mind to be be able to turn around. The Mauer era is over and hopefully the Molitor era is over too.

 

 

I really don't think they are too far away from turning around. I think 2018 was a lesson learned for both Sano and Buxton. I agree that their future and the team's future are tightly interwoven, but I doubt you see that kind of ineffectiveness again. I'd say they could turn around easily by getting a decent stop gap in CF, a guy like Escobar to play 2B until Gordon is ready, and guy that can mash at DH (added bonus if he can play the field somewhere). Most of the rest of the pieces are there, and you should see improvement from a lot of the younger guys. 

[jimmer]

I don't believe I said anything about the team turning right around. I do believe that the team needs a clean slate and a clean frame of mind to be be able to turn around. The Mauer era is over and hopefully the Molitor era is over too.

no what you said is that Mauer has been a drag on this whole team for years.

 

What this team needs is the ability to draft and develop MLB starting pitching and position players who don't poop the bed when they get to the majors assuming they ever make it to the majors. Especially those players we draft very high up. Our starting pitching has been a joke for years.

 

That is what drags and keeps this team down. Mauer has nothing to do with that stuff. When someone better can take his spot, his spot will be taken. Problem is, seems most just feel any HR guy is better (and in SSS) while discarding defense, obp and ability to hit with RISP.

 

Sure, there are better options than Mauer out there. Not sure we have them yet based on SSS from new players. Also not sure we will spend to get FA 1B that will significantly improve the position. We could put Sano there, but then we would need to replace his offense at 3B with a FA that will also cost a lot.

Edited September 7, 2018 by jimmer

[Tomj14]

 

Sano, Kepler, Garver, utility infielder are the backups.....Rooker and Weil are the hopeful backup plans. That doesn't work?

Rooker, Wiel and Raley strike out too much for my liking.

 

For next year I either give one of them the job and have a back up plan in place (and maybe that is the next one up in their case) or make them force my hand. I don't believe in the doing something half way. IMO

 

 

[Mike Sixel]

 

Rooker, Wiel and Raley strike out too much for my liking.

 

For next year I either give one of them the job and have a back up plan in place (and maybe that is the next one up in their case) or make them force my hand. I don't believe in the doing something half way. IMO

 

Mauer is as half way as you can get......

 

and Rooker, Weil and Raley are the plan (all in the minors) if Kepler, Austin, Sano, Garver can't do it.......maybe Astudillo if he's still around. Or Gimenez can play 1B, I'm sure.

Edited September 7, 2018 by Mike Sixel

[jmlease1]

 

Every pitch thrown by Matt Belisle, Tyler Kinley, David Hale. Every at bat by Chris Gimenez, Tommy Field, Gregorio Petit, Taylor Motter. These are things this FO CHOSE.


Note, I didn’t include Phil Hughes, because I believe Pohlad had to sign off on his DFA.

 

Every player you're mentioning here is a fringe roster guy. 

 

Belisle is the only one where it's really a "this is a bad idea" and there's a real possibility that Molitor may have driven that one.

 

Tyler Kinley? Flyer on a Rule 5 guy. Hardly a make or break move.

David Hale? Again, they took a flyer on him and he was here for a cup of coffee.

Gimenez? In a lost season what's the difference between Bobby Wilson & Chris Gimenez? The only reason either is here is because of Castro's knee injury.

I assume you mean Johnny Field, and they took a flyer on a guy after selling at deadline. looks like he sucks, but he'd done a few things for TB this year and they took a shot.

Gregorio Petit? a fringe player to fill in for injury/suspensions...and actually didn't do too bad! He got a sept callup. he'll finish the year with maybe 50 ABs. every team brings in guys like this as a veteran utility guy and you hope they can hold it down for a few weeks

Taylor Motter? again, they took a flyer on a guy. He showed a little pop in seattle, showed nothing here and got cut. we're indicting the FO over 20 ABs?

 

They've been moving a lot of guys in and out of the bottom edge of the 25 man looking for diamonds in the rough. I'm ok with that. Some of them are going to work (Jake Cave) others will look promising (Tyler Austin) more of them will be busts. But I'm not going to freak out over 6 guys who are going to get maybe 100 AB and 5 appearances between them.

 

Belisle was and is a mistake. Hopefully they've learned from it and know that bringing back a guy just because he used to be here and the manager likes him isn't good enough.

 

i'm still fine with bringing back mauer next year as long as the price tag is reasonable.

[Tomj14]

 

Mauer is as half way as you can get......

 

and Rooker, Weil and Raley are the plan (all in the minors) if Kepler, Austin, Sano, Garver can't do it.......maybe Astudillo if he's still around. Or Gimenez can play 1B, I'm sure.

I can't see the Twins thinking Garver is in their plans for 1B, he has started 3 games there in two years and that was 2017.

I am not saying he shouldn't, I am saying I don't think the Twins plan is for that.

[USAFChief]

As pointed out in last night’s game thread:

 

2018

Joe Mauer .273/.345./371

Robbie Grossman .260/.350/.367

 

Virtually identical.

 

Is there also a “looming Robbie Grossman decision?”

[twins_89]

 

As pointed out in last night’s game thread:

2018
Joe Mauer .273/.345./371
Robbie Grossman .260/.350/.367

Virtually identical.

Is there also a “looming Robbie Grossman decision?”

 

Without his Minnesota ties and history with the team would there even be a debate about bringing Mauer back. How attractive would a 36 year old 1B/DH coming off a season with an OPS in the low .700s actually be if he wasn't named Joe Mauer?

[Twins33]

As pointed out in last night’s game thread:

2018

Joe Mauer .273/.345./371

Robbie Grossman .260/.350/.367

Virtually identical.

Is there also a “looming Robbie Grossman decision?”

I hope Grossman is already decided and the answer is "bye!"

 

If I'm forced to have one or the other I'm picking Mauer every time. Makes no sense to have both when it's hard enough to just have one of them.

[diehardtwinsfan]

bit surprised this didn't get posted yet.

 

https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2018/09/13/joe-mauer-may-retire-after-the-season/

[yarnivek1972]

bit surprised this didn't get posted yet.

 

https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2018/09/13/joe-mauer-may-retire-after-the-season/

From the article:

 

despite how a concussion had already derailed the career of teammate Joe Mauer,

 

 

Oops.

[Rosterman]

Who's on first? If the Twins seriously want to consider Sano for 1st base, he should be playing there instead of Arianza or Gimenez or anyone not named Mauer. Of course, helps if Sano isn't injured.

 

Salary is the Big Issue. Be interesting to see if he gets offers from other teams. If he doesn't, the Twins Way will be "how low will he go."

 

Be interesting to see how he will fit into the organization longterm.

 

It would be nice to have known if this would happen, though. The Fan Love would be great for his final games!

 

 

[D. Hocking]

Joe does not exactly love doing interviews, and this might mean nothing, but the fact he did this in-depth (for him) interview with Koskie (not to mention his statement to LaVelle) makes me think he is getting ready to say good bye.

 

https://anchor.fm/linklete/episodes/Joe-Mauer--Minnesota-Twins-e264ri/Joe-Mauer-Minnesota-Twins-a57gk0?utm_content=buffer918e6&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer&sf92548376=1