Buster Olney - J. Mauer in Pinstripes?

[HollywoodLeo]

I highly doubt that he end up anywhere but MIN, BOS, NYY in that order.

Is this an official memo to fans of all other teams?

[cjkalt]

Minaya said he couldn't add payroll, hell even the yankees have been tighter this year.

The Mets are maxed out... and I honestly don't see a team besides the 3 I mentioned that could pay 20 mil for Mauer and still field a winner

[HollywoodLeo]

But we're not talking about this year. We're talking about after 2010.

[Saber]

Of course, Joe Mauer has no control here.

[cjkalt]

Mauer has to go to a team offering him a competitive salary out of respect for the other players in the league... and those 3 teams are the ones I listed

I'm sorry if you guys don't like that but its the way it will be unless someone makes a good case for another team

[HollywoodLeo]

Mauer has to go to a team offering him a competitive salary out of respect for the other players in the league... and those 3 teams are the ones I listed

I'm sorry if you guys don't like that but its the way it will be unless someone makes a good case for another team

I think you're being pretty foolish to rule out the Mets, Dodgers, Angels, or Cubs who have all shown in the past that they are willing and able to spend that kind of money.

I think you're just limiting the potential teams in a "wishful thinking" logical fallacy in hopes that he signs with your favorite team.

[HollywoodLeo]

And, yes, I realize the Cubs have Soto and the Dodgers have Martin, but we're talking about two years from now. There's no telling what can happen between now and then.

The Dodgers might move one of them to 1st base if they felt it was worth the money.

[bwitty24]

Mauer has to go to a team offering him a competitive salary out of respect for the other players in the league... and those 3 teams are the ones I listed

Joe Mauer does not HAVE to go anywhere if he does not choose to, at least I don't think.

[ljshorty89]

What money? You can't even afford Pedro at 5 mil prorated

Is it they can't afford him or that they don't want him at that money?

Thanks Leo. That's the point. They never actually said they "couldn't afford Pedro". They actually said they had ZERO interest in Pedro. Mainly because you don't patch up an injury depleted team with an injury prone aging pitcher. Additionally, there have been about a billion reports in the last month that says the Mets are one of few teams who could add payroll this year if necessary, in the range of 5+ million more to the payroll. Thanks.

Minaya said he couldn't add payroll, hell even the yankees have been tighter this year.

The Mets are maxed out... and I honestly don't see a team besides the 3 I mentioned that could pay 20 mil for Mauer and still field a winner

See above. They never once said they couldn't add payroll, they said that there was nothing available that was worth giving up money AND prospects for, which is true. Not to mention that this is two years from now when Delgado, I believe Beltran, (and god forbid Wright or Reyes) come off the books. Beltran could conceivably be resigned, but he won't be making 18 million, so there's some money saved there. Who knows what happens in 2 years. To rule out big market teams just because you want him to replace Varitek doesn't make much sense to me.

[NYgiantsfan5689]

Honestly, the last thing the Yankees need now or in the future is a catcher. We all know Posada will be on the team until he withers and dies on the field itself. After him, there's Francisco Cervelli, who is proving himself in the majors time and time again. Then, there's Jesus Montero, Austin Romine, and countless other really good prospects in the Yankees' system who are supposedly going to be very, very good. Why increase the payroll when you have exactly what you need in house? It may take a year or two more, but there's no point in signing Mauer when it's clear Cervelli can hold down the fort until Montero is ready. Montero was first supposedly going to switch to 1B but now with Tex there for the next umpteen years, he probably will stay at catcher, and from what I hear, he's increased his defensive ability ten-fold. As much as I absolutely would love Mauer's production, I'd much rather see them go after that same production from a position of need, say, like on a Jason Bay. That would be much more wise.

[ljshorty89]

Honestly, the last thing the Yankees need now or in the future is a catcher. We all know Posada will be on the team until he withers and dies on the field itself. After him, there's Francisco Cervelli, who is proving himself in the majors time and time again. Then, there's Jesus Montero, Austin Romine, and countless other really good prospects in the Yankees' system who are supposedly going to be very, very good. Why increase the payroll when you have exactly what you need in house? It may take a year or two more, but there's no point in signing Mauer when it's clear Cervelli can hold down the fort until Montero is ready. Montero was first supposedly going to switch to 1B but now with Tex there for the next umpteen years, he probably will stay at catcher, and from what I hear, he's increased his defensive ability ten-fold. As much as I absolutely would love Mauer's production, I'd much rather see them go after that same production from a position of need, say, like on a Jason Bay. That would be much more wise.

Don't forget the Yankees just gave a 2+ million dollar signing bonus to another 16 year old latin catcher.....

[NYgiantsfan5689]

Exactly. The future of the catcher of the Yankees is probably pretty solid right now. Time to spend the money in other positions. Like Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. Would love to see either of them in pinstripes, especially Bay. I hate being forced to hate guys I previously loved to watch play. Get him outta Boston.

[ljshorty89]

Exactly. The future of the catcher of the Yankees is probably pretty solid right now. Time to spend the money in other positions. Like Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. Would love to see either of them in pinstripes, especially Bay. I hate being forced to hate guys I previously loved to watch play. Get him outta Boston.

Well, Boston just started negotiating with him. And I get the sense that he likes it there. I can't see any way the Sox screw up badly enough to let him go to the Yankees. Sorry.

[cjkalt]

I'm with LJ on Bay... he's having too much fun and is too loved to leave (Also the wall inflates his stats like crazy)

I just don't see the big market teams that have the cheap core like Boston or the payroll of NYY, where they can pay Mauer 20 mil and still have a WS caliber team? (like Mauer has said repeatedly he wants in his next destination)

If this were 2 years ago and the Mets had Reyes, Wright, Beltran and Johan, then I'd say they'd be a serious player but I just don't see the great fit outside those 3.

Could he go somewhere else, sure? I'm just not betting on it cause the conditions don't look as good as those 3

[NYgiantsfan5689]

I can still hope until he signs haha