Jim Souhan throws the previously unthinkable out there:
Mauer still has more leverage than Pat Williams on a teeter-totter, but as negotiations have lagged, Mauer's hesitancy to accept a record-setting contract offer from his hometown team has made his signing less than a sure thing and raised this previously unthinkable question:
"Won't the Twins have to trade him if he refuses their best offer?"
That noise you heard was the collective gasp of Twins fans everywhere. But you know, the question is not out of line.
The guess is that the Twins have offered Mauer a franchise record $20 million per year for as many as 10 years. The actual details are being closely held, but that does not seem unrealistic. It's a lot of money and a fair amount of risk for a club like the Twins, but for a draw like Joe it is probably worth it. So what's the hang up on coming to a deal? It really is getting a little tedious.
Patience is in order for a little longer, but Souhan is right that the Twins have to think long-term here. If the Twins start to think that they are going to lose him anyway then, as Souhan puts it, the Santana Shuttle may come into play. I would really hate to see that, and I would really hate to see a guy like Mauer become just another athlete who grabs every bit of cash that he can. I haven't thought of him that way, but I'm starting to wonder.
Just a little.
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