Yesterday afternoon, Twins superstar catcher Joe Mauer met with a specialist at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where the team started a series last night against the Orioles. Mauer met with the same doctor who worked and treated his inflamed sacroiliac joint in 2009. This exam is publicly being considered an annual follow-up appointment for that repaired joint, but it also comes at a time when Mauer finds himself ailing from a bi-lateral leg weakness. Mauer himself doesn't think that the two injuries are related in any way, which could come as a huge concern for Twins fans hoping for a quick return. Exam results will be know soon enough.
This meeting warrants many other questions surrounding our $184 million dollar investment. Maybe Joe Mauer should consider changing positions? How much longer can Joe Mauer catch? With Mauer only 2.5 weeks into his 8-year historic contract, what can we expect from our huge out-standing paycheck?
8 years is a very long time for the Twins to worry about harnessing the talents of their hometown hero. Mauer sacrificed millions to remain in Minnesota, so the Twins should do the same to protect Mauer, right? For the organization, this could mean moving Mauer into a less strenuous position on the field, or making him a permanent designated hitter, which would present many other problems that I won't delve into. The Twins will attempt to get the most that they can out of their large investment, and all that remains to be had is time. So just how long can Joe Mauer remain a catcher? Recent events would suggest that his time as a catcher should have been cut short as soon as he stepped foot into the big leagues, but the Twins refused to learn from previous examples, and allowed Mauer to suffer from injury. Mauer's bat is the most important asset to the Twins organization at this point in time, and it does not make matters any better, when he is seeking opinions from doctors instead of stepping up to the plate. The biggest contract signed by a catcher in the history of professional baseball immediately called for a bit of caution, the second largest to be signed behind that one guy who plays 3rd base for the Damn Yankees. In my opinion, this is one of those things that must keep manager Ron Gardenhire up late at night, other than the thought of having to decide who to pitch in the 9th inning these days.
I can speak for the entire organization when I say that Joe Mauer should not be playing catcher, every fan knows this. The issue lies in what Joe Mauer wants to do, which is different from what he should do. When will the time come when he realizes what the Twins have been thinking ever since he touched pen to paper. It is obvious that Joe Mauer is able to catch and bat at an outstanding frequency, we have seen that before, but the real question is whether Joe can keep those games coming for the next eight years. If this happens, there is no question that he is worth every penny of that $184 million, but I have a feeling it may be a bit more complicated than that. If Mauer remains physically up to catching the majority of games for the next eights years, then I have no problem with the Twins logic behind his contract, but the odds of him stepping up to that task are not leaning in his favor.
