Biographical

Joe Mauer CTwins

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2019 Projections (Preseason PECOTA - seasonal age 36)

PA	AVG	HR	R	RBI	SB	DRC+	WARP
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Birth Date	4-19-1983
Height	6' 5"
Weight	225 lbs

Age	41 years, 0 months, 0 days
Bats	L
Throws	R

: 0.42015
: 0.72016
: 1.12017
: 0.52018
: 1.42019
proj

WARP Summary

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MLB Statistics

YEAR	TEAM	AGE	G	PA	H	2B	3B	HR	BB	SO	HBP	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	DRC+	DRAA	BRR	FRAA	BWARP
2004	MIN	21	35	122	33	8	1	6	11	14	1	1	0	.308	.369	.570	118	2.9	-0.3	5.9	1.4
2005	MIN	22	131	554	144	26	2	9	61	64	1	13	1	.294	.372	.411	108	5.5	-1.0	13.7	4.2
2006	MIN	23	140	608	181	36	4	13	79	54	1	8	3	.347	.429	.507	139	33.5	2.7	17.0	7.8
2007	MIN	24	109	471	119	27	3	7	57	51	3	7	1	.293	.382	.426	110	7.8	-1.4	3.7	2.9
2008	MIN	25	146	633	176	31	4	9	84	50	1	1	1	.328	.413	.451	125	21.3	3.6	2.4	5.6
2009	MIN	26	138	606	191	30	1	28	76	63	2	4	1	.365	.444	.587	160	46.4	1.5	5.6	7.8
2010	MIN	27	137	584	167	43	1	9	65	53	3	1	4	.327	.402	.469	130	21.0	4.4	7.0	5.7
2011	MIN	28	82	333	85	15	0	3	32	38	3	0	0	.287	.360	.368	103	1.5	-1.4	6.6	1.8
2012	MIN	29	147	641	174	31	4	10	90	88	2	8	4	.319	.416	.446	134	25.0	-2.1	-7.9	3.4
2013	MIN	30	113	508	144	35	0	11	61	89	0	0	1	.324	.404	.476	131	18.3	-0.5	-0.9	3.6
2014	MIN	31	120	518	126	27	2	4	60	96	1	3	0	.277	.361	.371	99	-0.1	4.2	3.0	1.3
2015	MIN	32	158	666	157	34	2	10	67	112	1	2	1	.265	.338	.380	98	1.2	-2.6	-1.7	0.4
2016	MIN	33	134	576	129	22	4	11	79	93	1	2	0	.261	.363	.389	106	5.5	-2.2	-2.7	0.7
2017	MIN	34	141	597	160	36	1	7	66	83	3	2	1	.305	.384	.417	110	9.5	-6.6	1.6	1.1
2018	MIN	35	127	543	137	27	1	6	51	86	2	0	1	.282	.351	.379	96	-0.8	-1.5	2.0	0.5
Career			1858	7960	2123	428	30	143	939	1034	25	52	19	.306	.388	.439	119	198.3	-3.3	55.4	48.1

Statistics for All Levels

'opp' stats - Quality of opponents faced - have been moved and are available only as OPP_QUAL in the Statistics reports now.
Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.

YEAR	Team	Lg	LG	G	PA	oppAVG	oppOBP	oppSLG	BABIP	BPF	BRAA	repLVL	POS_ADJ	DRC+	DRC+ SD	FRAA	BRR	DRAA	BWARP
2001	ELZ	Rk	APL	32	130	.000	.000	.000	.440			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2002	QUD	A	MDW	110	476	.000	.000	.000	.329			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2003	FTM	A+	FSL	62	261	.000	.000	.000	.370			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2003	NBR	AA	EAS	73	310	.000	.000	.000	.364			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2004	MIN	MLB	AL	35	122	.266	.328	.428	.300	98	9.4	3.6	2	118	15	5.9	-0.3	2.9	1.4
2004	FTM	A+	FSL	2	8	.000	.000	.000	1.000			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2004	ROC	AAA	INT	5	21	.000	.000	.000	.400			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2005	MIN	MLB	AL	131	554	.263	.328	.416	.322	97	9.8	15.9	7.4	108	9	13.7	-1.0	5.5	4.2
2006	MIN	MLB	AL	140	608	.272	.336	.431	.364	103	32	18.3	8.4	139	7	17.0	2.7	33.5	7.8
2007	MIN	MLB	AL	109	471	.272	.338	.424	.319	95	12.5	14.0	5.5	110	9	3.7	-1.4	7.8	2.9
2007	FTM	A+	FSL	1	4	.196	.295	.279	.000	81	-0.5	0.1	0.1	71	0	0.0	0.0	-0.1	0.0
2008	MIN	MLB	AL	146	633	.266	.332	.419	.342	98	32.7	18.3	10.3	125	7	2.4	3.6	21.3	5.6
2009	MIN	MLB	AL	138	606	.265	.332	.420	.373	104	50.1	17.4	5.9	160	10	5.6	1.5	46.4	7.8
2009	FTM	A+	FSL	5	18	.267	.325	.382	.429	87	2.7	0.5	0.2	150	0	-0.2	0.2	0.8	0.2
2010	MIN	MLB	AL	137	584	.255	.321	.394	.348	108	18.6	16.1	6.3	130	10	7.0	4.4	21.0	5.7
2011	MIN	MLB	AL	82	333	.254	.314	.394	.319	104	0.8	9.0	1.1	103	12	6.6	-1.4	1.5	1.8
2011	FTM	A+	FSL	7	27	.267	.326	.399	.238	101	0.9	0.8	0.3	116	0	0.0	0.2	0.4	0.2
2012	MIN	MLB	AL	147	641	.254	.316	.405	.364	104	24	17.6	-0.2	134	7	-7.9	-2.1	25.0	3.4
2013	MIN	MLB	AL	113	508	.252	.316	.398	.383	100	26.4	13.4	2.4	131	8	-0.9	-0.5	18.3	3.6
2013	USA	int	WBC	6	26	.000	.000	.000	.529			0.0		0	0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
2014	MIN	MLB	AL	120	518	.254	.316	.393	.342	106	1.7	13.4	-8.5	99	9	3.0	4.2	-0.1	1.3
2014	CDR	A	MID	4	15	.273	.329	.369	.429	102	0.9	0.4	-0.3	128	0	-0.1	-0.7	0.2	-0.1
2015	MIN	MLB	AL	158	666	.252	.314	.402	.309	108	-1.5	18.0	-11.5	98	7	-1.7	-2.6	1.2	0.4
2016	MIN	MLB	AL	134	576	.256	.321	.419	.301	113	-1.6	16.3	-10.3	106	10	-2.7	-2.2	5.5	0.7
2017	MIN	MLB	AL	141	597	.258	.326	.435	.349	108	9.3	17.5	-11.1	110	8	1.6	-6.6	9.5	1.1
2018	MIN	MLB	AL	127	543	.252	.320	.418	.330	105	-0.2	15.2	-9.6	96	7	2.0	-1.5	-0.8	0.5
2018	ROC	AAA	INT	3	10	.224	.294	.372	.000	101	-2.7	0.3	-0.2	33	0	-0.1	0.0	-0.6	-0.1

Statistics For All Levels

Minor league stats are currently shown —Click to hide.

Year	Team	lvl	LG	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	TB	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	ISO	SF	SH
2001	ELZ	Rk	APL	130	110	14	44	6	2	0	54	14	19	10	4	0	.400	.492	.491	.091	0	0
2002	QUD	A	MDW	476	411	58	124	23	1	4	161	62	61	42	0	0	.302	.395	.392	.090	0	0
2003	NBR	AA	EAS	310	276	48	94	17	1	4	125	41	25	25	0	0	.341	.405	.453	.112	0	0
2003	FTM	A+	FSL	261	233	25	78	13	1	1	96	44	24	24	3	0	.335	.399	.412	.077	0	0
2004	FTM	A+	FSL	8	6	0	4	0	0	0	4	2	2	2	0	0	.667	.750	.667	.000	0	0
2004	ROC	AAA	INT	21	19	1	6	3	0	0	9	2	1	4	0	0	.316	.350	.474	.158	0	0
2004	MIN	MLB	AL	122	107	18	33	8	1	6	61	17	11	14	1	0	.308	.369	.570	.262	3	0
2005	MIN	MLB	AL	554	489	61	144	26	2	9	201	55	61	64	13	1	.294	.372	.411	.117	3	0
2006	MIN	MLB	AL	608	521	86	181	36	4	13	264	84	79	54	8	3	.347	.429	.507	.159	7	0
2007	FTM	A+	FSL	4	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	.000	.250	.000	.000	0	0
2007	MIN	MLB	AL	471	406	62	119	27	3	7	173	60	57	51	7	1	.293	.382	.426	.133	3	2
2008	MIN	MLB	AL	633	536	98	176	31	4	9	242	85	84	50	1	1	.328	.413	.451	.123	11	1
2009	MIN	MLB	AL	606	523	94	191	30	1	28	307	96	76	63	4	1	.365	.444	.587	.222	5	0
2009	FTM	A+	FSL	18	15	2	6	2	0	0	8	4	2	1	0	0	.400	.471	.533	.133	0	0
2010	MIN	MLB	AL	584	510	88	167	43	1	9	239	75	65	53	1	4	.327	.402	.469	.141	6	0
2011	FTM	A+	FSL	27	23	3	6	2	0	1	11	6	3	1	0	0	.261	.370	.478	.217	0	0
2011	MIN	MLB	AL	333	296	38	85	15	0	3	109	30	32	38	0	0	.287	.360	.368	.081	2	0
2012	MIN	MLB	AL	641	545	81	174	31	4	10	243	85	90	88	8	4	.319	.416	.446	.127	3	1
2013	MIN	MLB	AL	508	445	62	144	35	0	11	212	47	61	89	0	1	.324	.404	.476	.153	2	0
2013	USA	int	WBC	26	21	4	9	2	1	0	13	2	5	4	0	0	.429	.538	.619	.190	0	0
2014	MIN	MLB	AL	518	455	60	126	27	2	4	169	55	60	96	3	0	.277	.361	.371	.095	2
2014	CDR	A	MID	15	15	2	6	0	0	0	6	1	0	1	0	0	.400	.400	.400	.000	0
2015	MIN	MLB	AL	666	592	69	157	34	2	10	225	66	67	112	2	1	.265	.338	.380	.115	5	1
2016	MIN	MLB	AL	576	494	68	129	22	4	11	192	49	79	93	2	0	.261	.363	.389	.128	2	0
2017	MIN	MLB	AL	597	525	69	160	36	1	7	219	71	66	83	2	1	.305	.384	.417	.112	3	0
2018	ROC	AAA	INT	10	10	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000	0	0
2018	MIN	MLB	AL	543	486	64	137	27	1	6	184	48	51	86	0	1	.282	.351	.379	.097	3	1

Plate Discipline

YEAR	Pits	Zone%	Swing%	Contact%	Z-Swing%	O-Swing%	Z-Contact%	O-Contact%	SwStr%	CSAA
2008	2495	0.5210	0.3543	0.8982	0.4831	0.2142	0.9283	0.8242	0.1018	-0.0056
2009	2482	0.4879	0.3662	0.8691	0.4971	0.2415	0.8904	0.8274	0.1309	-0.0052
2010	2190	0.5493	0.3913	0.8950	0.5204	0.2340	0.9361	0.7835	0.1050	0.0001
2011	1335	0.5199	0.3610	0.8610	0.4856	0.2262	0.9169	0.7310	0.1390	0.0032
2012	2727	0.5123	0.3517	0.8634	0.4767	0.2203	0.8994	0.7816	0.1366	-0.0007
2013	2133	0.4984	0.3774	0.8211	0.5024	0.2533	0.8708	0.7232	0.1789	-0.0015
2014	2122	0.5170	0.3869	0.8270	0.5242	0.2400	0.8661	0.7358	0.1730	0.0026
2015	2655	0.4957	0.4102	0.8292	0.5418	0.2808	0.8948	0.7048	0.1708	-0.0030
2016	2429	0.4990	0.3586	0.8427	0.4695	0.2482	0.8787	0.7748	0.1573	0.0000
2017	2589	0.5160	0.3635	0.8704	0.4895	0.2291	0.9205	0.7561	0.1296	0.0000
2018	2199	0.5302	0.3506	0.8470	0.4666	0.2197	0.9099	0.6960	0.1530	0.0000
Career	25356	0.5125	0.3703	0.8571	0.4963	0.2375	0.9009	0.7603	0.1429	-0.0012

Injury History — No longer being updated

Last Update: 12/31/2014 23:59 ET

Date On	Date Off	Transaction	Days	Games	Side	Body Part	Injury	Severity	Surgery Date	Reaggravation
2014-09-24	2014-09-25	DTD	1	1	Right	Elbow	Contusion	HBP	-
2014-08-28	2014-08-28	DTD	0	0	Left	Shoulder	Soreness		-
2014-07-02	2014-08-11	15-DL	40	34	Right	Abdomen	Strain	Oblique	-
2014-05-05	2014-05-10	DTD	5	5	-	Low Back	Spasms		-	-
2013-08-20	2013-09-30	15-DL	41	39	-	Head	Concussion	Foul Ball	-	-
2013-05-16	2013-05-18	DTD	2	1	-	Low Back	Soreness		-	-
2012-09-11	2012-09-16	DTD	5	5	-	Low Back	Spasms		-	-
2012-06-18	2012-06-22	DTD	4	3	Right	Thigh	Contusion	Quadriceps	-	-
2012-06-16	2012-06-16	DTD	0	0	Right	Thigh	Soreness	Hamstring	-	-
2012-06-04	2012-06-09	DTD	5	4	-	Thumb	Sprain		-	-
2012-04-30	2012-05-01	DTD	1	1	-	Knee	Contusion	Foul Ball	-	-
2011-09-15	2011-09-29	15-DL	14	14	-	General Medical	Illness	Pneumonia	-	-
2011-09-01	2011-09-04	DTD	3	2	-	General Medical	Illness	Upper Respiratory Infection	-	-
2011-08-24	2011-08-30	DTD	6	6	-	Neck	Stiffness	From Earlier In The Week	-	-
2011-07-05	2011-07-06	DTD	1	1	-	Shoulder	Contusion	Foul Ball	-	-
2011-06-23	2011-06-24	DTD	1	1	-	Low Back	Stiffness		-
2011-04-13	2011-06-17	60-DL	65	57	Bilateral	Lower Leg	Fatigue		-
2011-02-16	2011-02-16	Camp	0	0	Left	Knee	Degenerative Changes	Viscosupplementation Injections	-
2010-12-14	2010-12-14	Off	0	0	Left	Knee	Surgery	Plica	2010-12-14
2010-09-20	2010-09-30	DTD	10	9	Left	Knee	Soreness		-
2010-08-01	2010-08-03	DTD	2	2	Right	Shoulder	Inflammation		-
2010-07-21	2010-07-22	DTD	1	1	Right	Shoulder	Soreness		-
2010-07-11	2010-07-15	DTD	4	1	Right	Shoulder	Soreness		-
2010-05-01	2010-05-08	DTD	7	6		Foot	Contusion	Heel	-
2010-03-12	2010-03-16	Camp	4	0	Right	Shoulder	Contusion	Foul Ball	-
2009-10-09	2009-10-09	DTD	0	0		Hip	Soreness	Hip Flexor	-
2009-06-18	2009-06-19	DTD	1	1		General Medical	Respiratory	Flu	-
2009-05-31	2009-06-02	DTD	2	1	Right	Ankle	Contusion	Foul Ball	-
2009-04-02	2009-05-01	15-DL	29	22	Right	Low Back	Sprain	SI Joint	-
2009-02-15	2009-03-27	Camp	40	0	Right	Low Back	Sprain	SI Joint	-
2009-01-02	2009-01-02	Off	0	0		Abdomen	Surgery	Kidney Obstruction	2009-01-02
2008-08-12	2008-08-13	DTD	1	1		Neck	Spasms		-
2007-09-27	2007-09-27	DTD	0	0		Abdomen	Hernia	Bothering Since Mid Season	-
2007-08-26	2007-09-04	DTD	9	9	Left	Thigh	Strain	Hamstring	-
2007-08-22	2007-08-23	DTD	1	1		Ankle	Contusion		-
2007-05-06	2007-06-08	15-DL	33	28	Left	Thigh	Strain	Quadriceps	-
2007-03-22	2007-03-31	Camp	9	0	Left		Stress Fracture		-
2006-07-02	2006-07-03	DTD	1	1		General Medical	Gastrointestinal	GI	-
2006-04-27	2006-04-29	DTD	2	2	Left	Thigh	Soreness	Hamstring	-
2005-09-10	2005-09-12	DTD	2	2	Right	Shoulder	Contusion	Foul Ball	-
2005-06-03	2005-06-04	DTD	1	1	Right	Groin	Soreness		-
2005-05-25	2005-05-29	DTD	4	4	Right	Groin	Soreness		-
2005-03-15	2005-03-23	Camp	8	0		Face	Surgery	Wisdom Teeth Removed	2005-03-15
2005-03-07	2005-03-10	Camp	3	0	Left	Knee	Soreness		-
2004-08-12	2004-08-12	On-Alr	0	0		Abdomen	Surgery	Kidney Stones	2004-08-12
2004-07-16	2004-10-10	60-DL	86	74	Left	Knee	Recovery From Surgery	Meniscus	2004-04-08	-
2004-04-07	2004-06-01	15-DL	55	48	Left	Knee	Surgery	Meniscus	2004-04-08
2002-09-02	2002-09-02	Minors	0	0			Surgery	Hernia	2002-09-02

Compensation

Year	Team	Salary
2018	MIN	$23,000,000
2017	MIN	$23,000,000
2016	MIN	$23,000,000
2015	MIN	$23,000,000
2014	MIN	$23,000,000
2013	MIN	$23,000,000
2012	MIN	$23,000,000
2011	MIN	$23,000,000
2010	MIN	$12,500,000
2009	MIN	$10,500,000
2008	MIN	$6,250,000
2007	MIN	$3,750,000
2006	MIN	$400,000
2005	MIN	$325,000

Years	Description	Salary
14 yr	Previous	$217,725,000
14 yr	Total	$217,725,000

Service Time	Agent	Contract Status
15 y 0 d	Ron Shapiro	8 years/$184M (2011-18)

Details

8 years/$184M (2011-18). Signed extension with Minnesota 3/22/10. 11-18:$23M annually. Award bonuses: $0.1M for WS MVP. $0.1M for MVP ($75,000 for 2nd in vote, $50,000 for 3rd, $25,000 each for 4-6th). $50,000 for LCS MVP. $25,000 each for Gold Glove, All-Star selection. Full no-trade clause. Retired 11/18.
4 years/$33M (2007-10). 07:$3.75M, 08:$6.25M, 09:$10.5M, 10:$12.5M. Signed extension with Minnestoa 2/07 (avoided arbitration 2/07, $4.5M-$3.3M). Limited no-trade protection (may block deals to 3 clubs each year). Award bonus: $25,000 for Gold Glove.
1 year/$0.4M (2006). Re-signed by Minnesota 3/06.
1 year/$0.325M (2005).
Drafted by Minnesota 2001 (1-1). $5.15M bonus (paid over five years).

2019 Preseason Forecast

Last Update: 1/27/2017 12:35 ET

PCT	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	DRC+	VORP	FRAA	WARP
90^o	720	82	187	39	3	11	74	85	114	2	1	.299	.386	.424	119	29.3	1B 2	3.3
80^o	706	78	177	37	3	10	71	81	114	2	1	.287	.373	.406	114	22.4	1B 2	2.6
70^o	696	75	170	35	2	10	68	78	113	2	1	.279	.364	.392	110	17.7	1B 1	2.0
60^o	688	73	165	34	2	10	67	76	113	2	1	.274	.358	.386	107	13.7	1B 1	1.6
50^o	680	71	159	33	2	9	65	74	113	2	1	.266	.350	.373	103	10.0	1B 1	1.2
40^o	672	69	155	32	2	9	63	71	113	2	1	.262	.344	.368	100	6.5	1B 1	0.8
30^o	664	67	150	31	2	9	61	69	113	1	1	.256	.337	.362	97	2.8	1B 1	0.4
20^o	654	64	144	30	2	8	59	66	113	1	1	.249	.328	.349	93	-1.5	1B 1	0.0
10^o	640	61	136	28	2	8	56	63	112	1	1	.239	.317	.337	87	-7.1	1B 1	-0.6
Weighted Mean	681	71	159	33	2	9	65	74	113	2	1	.266	.350	.373	104	10.4	1B 1	1.3

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BP Annual Player Comments

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BP Articles

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BP Chats

Date	Question	Answer
2017-05-08 20:00:00 (link to chat)	I just want to see what Joe Mauer would like, if he'd embrace the pulled fly ball approach for one season. He doesn't have anything to lose anyway. (LucasDad from Duluth, MN)	Word. (Mark Barry)
2017-05-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Alex Gordon, Curtis Granderson, Jose Bautista, Joe Mauer, and Hunter Pence. For each one of this bunch of over 30, under performing veterans, please identify which "illness" they suffer from A) undisclosed nagging injury, B) small sample size, or C) stick a fork in him, he's done. (Paul from DC)	Ooh, good one. A - Pence. He's sort of been hurt as a matter of course. B - Gordon. He's hitting EVERYTHING on the ground, that sounds like a mechanical issue. K rate, walk rate, plate discipline all seem OK Mauer. Too many thins just look weird for him now. Ridiculously high contact rate, ridiculously low K rate and (for him) a really low walk rate. It's like an Ichiro starter kit, and that's not really what he is. He strikes me as a good candidate for regression to the mean, though the mean for him at this point is probably a league-average bat at best. C - Bautista. Contact rate has fallen off a table. He murdered fastballs when he was good. That's turned around. Has he become a guy who can't catch up with heat anymore? B or C - Granderson. I'm not sure. B because he was awful in April 2014 (.468 OPS) so we've seen this before. C because he's just not hitting the ball hard; a 17% infield fly rate isn't good for a guy who hits 57% of his balls in the air. I'm just not sure. (Rob Mains)
2016-02-23 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Being a Minnesotan, what are your thoughts on whether Joe Mauer has got a top 50 player rater season left in him? thanks. (boatman44 from Liverpool)	Here's a reference a Minnesotan should get: H-E-L-L N-A-H (Matthew Trueblood)
2015-09-09 13:00:00 (link to chat)	What explains Joe Mauer. So obviously his one power season will not happen again, but what became of his steady .300 AVG year in and year out? (Chris from Baltimore)	Man, a good question. I don't get to see him very often anymore, but I do know the bat speed isn't what it was, and pitchers do not fear pitching him inside at all. He was one of the best pure hitters I ever saw. Pretty sad, really. (Christopher Crawford)
2015-01-20 19:30:00 (link to chat)	Pick two: Joe Mauer, Kolten Wong, Matt Holliday, Khris Davis, Brandon Phillips, Pedro Alvarez. These would be the last two keepers in a 5x5 roto league. (Keeping Panda, Shields, JZimm, Starlin already) (Lior from MN)	Definitely not Phillips or Davis. I'd probably go Mauer and Holliday. (Ben Carsley)
2015-02-16 11:00:00 (link to chat)	Does Joe Mauer have a bounceback season? If so, is it possible he gets dealt? (John from Chicago)	Really depends on his health, because I think he's too talented to stay down. I'd guess no trade either way. Minnesota doesn't seem to be interested in going that route. (R.J. Anderson)
2014-12-18 15:00:00 (link to chat)	Are Joe Mauer or Billy Butler still relevant in fantasy? (John from Columbus)	PUT DOWN THE SHOVELS. No need to bury a guy after a bad season. Yes, both are still relevant, and I think Mauer is pretty underrated. Go look at 2013. He was pretty dang good. (Craig Goldstein)
2014-12-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you see Joe Mauer ever being an All-star again? (John from Chicago)	Man, I hope so. I'll be honest, I didn't see a lot of the Twins last season, but when I do watch him, the swing just makes me giddy. So simple and just reminds me of the pure hitters I grew up watching (Wade Boggs, Tony Gwynn). If he can just stay healthy, I believe he has an AS level still in him, but staying healthy just doesn't seem too easy for him, does it? (Sahadev Sharma)
2014-08-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Is it time to move on from Billy Butler and Joe Mauer in dynasty leagues? (JMR from Chicago)	Depends on the format. A lot of dynasty leagues are deeper so you can't move on entirely, but it is time to downgrade valuation/expectations for both, particularly Mauer now that he won't have catcher eligibility going forward. (Mike Gianella)
2014-08-06 16:30:00 (link to chat)	Something ridiculous? (James from CA)	Young Joe Mauer: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_i4DDjPc62mw/SrMgIUTnZ8I/AAAAAAAABxg/PUODfF2QrSk/s400/a_joe_i.jpg (Cespedes Family BBQ)
2014-08-08 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Better value over the next three years (ignoring team specific need)... Albert Pujols or Joe Mauer? (jaredfluth from Sioux Falls, SD)	Pujols. I'm really concerned about Mauer at this point. (Craig Goldstein)
2014-07-09 15:00:00 (link to chat)	just to put things into perspective, which recent all stars have a 7 hit tool? would you hang an 8 on Joe Mauer? (Joe Random from San Jose)	Mauer did have an 8 but injuries and age took it all the way down to a 6 at worst. Gasp! Dude will find his swing and continue to mash Current 7's- Altuve, Miggy, Cano, Trout and VMart... ok and Braun too. Tulo is a 7 this year. (Ryan Parker)
2014-04-29 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Which team makes the playoffs first, the Cubs, Twins or Astros? (Sagar from chicago)	Of those? I kinda think Twins. Having a really, really good player like Joe Mauer helps. (R.J. Anderson)
2014-03-19 20:00:00 (link to chat)	Hi Bret, besides Joe Mauer -- who is ending up on your team a lot this season? cheers, k (Kurt from Tacoma)	Alex Gordon always winds up on a bunch of my teams. Same with Albert Pujols. Then in the later rounds, Martin Perez, Dustin Ackley and Derek Norris (where applicable). (Bret Sayre)
2014-02-18 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you think having power at the corners is overrated? Can't a guy just play baseball without worrying about HR? (Larry from LA)	Depends on roster construction and the player. I'm not complaining if it means getting Joe Mauer into my lineup a dozen or two more times as a first baseman. (Ronit Shah)
2014-02-03 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Any lingering concerns over Joe Mauer's season-ending concussion? I have him in a keeper OBP league but I'm wondering if at his price (probably high 20s/low 30s depending who else I keep) it's better to cut bait than risk it. (Matt from Springfield)	Somewhat, but at the high 20's I'm willing to gamble that he'll be ok. (Mauricio Rubio)
2014-02-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Who will have a better year in AL H-H league? Ervin Santana, Ubaldo Jimenez, or Chris Archer. (both FA would be eligible in our league even if they're in NL). Also, salaries are equal, who would you rather have Greinke or Joe Mauer? (redsoxin2004 from Columbia, CT)	Archer, Greinke. (Jeff Moore)
2014-01-02 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Will Salvador Perez finish in the Top 5 at C this season? His second half was strong. An uptick in power seems inevitable going forward. (Tim Bennett from Dunn Field)	I don't think so. I'm not sure more power is guaranteed and Joe Mauer still rates as a catcher for this season. I have Perez behind Posey, Molina, Mauer, Santana and McCann at least. Possibly Lucroy and a couple others. (Craig Goldstein)
2013-12-10 18:00:00 (link to chat)	Where do you see Kendrys Morales ending up? (Frank from Seattle)	Given that the Mariners made a qualifying offer, the most likely destination for Kendry Morales is back to Seattle, since I can't see a team like the Pirates or the Rays surrendering a first round pick for a talent like Morales. The 10 teams that have protected picks either don't seem to need a first baseman or haven't expressed a lot of interest in Morales. I thought the Twins might have made sense before they announced they were moving Joe Mauer to first base. My guess is Seattle, although this could be one of those situations where the qualifying offer makes Morales' market tepid and he signs late with a team where an injury crops up and makes Morales a contingency plan. (Mike Gianella)
2013-11-12 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Joe Mauer is a top 3 first basemen next year and hits 20 home runs in 155 games. Odds? (Matt from Fargo)	Votto clearly no. 1, at least as long as Miguel Cabrera is playing 3B (which conceivably he might not be). I tend to think that Pujols is going to have a very strong recovery now that his foot is unhurt, but he'll either be much better than Mauer or much worse. Mauer or Goldschmidt next. He's John Olerud, right? Olerud was only very briefly a top-3 1B, but over the course of more than a decade he was a top-5. (Sam Miller)
2013-10-07 18:00:00 (link to chat)	Any under the radar catchers going into next year? I'm stuck with Wellington in a 20 teamer (Mitch from Iowa)	Hi Mitch In a 20-team league, probably not. Yan Gomes would be more of a sleeper if everyone would stop talking about him, but still might be in your format. If the Twins consider moving Joe Mauer to another position, Josmil Pinto is instantly intriguing. (Mike Gianella)
2013-05-29 18:30:00 (link to chat)	What's going on? In a yahoo league rotisserie standard 8 team league. Standard starters with a utility player. We use 2 SP,2RP 3P in general. I really need to make a couple of adjustments. Need to add another pitcher and solid bar to this line up. This league is tough with trades! so would need to rely on the waivers Who should we ditch and is there anyone we should be tracking or picking up? Here is the squad...Here is the squad... Albert Pujols 1B Joe Mauer C,1B Jacoby Ellsbury OF Evan Longoria 3B Matt Holliday OF Shin-Soo Choo OF Jose Altuve 2B Jimmy Rollins SS Anthony Rizzo 1B Alex Gordon OF Rickie Weeks 2B Rickie Weeks 2B Cliff Lee SP Hiroki Kuroda Heath Bell Huston Street RP Addison Reed RP Jason Grilli RP Tim Lincecum SP Brett Anderson DL Dan Haren SP Kenley Jansen RP Lance Lynn FA available. Prado Matt Carpenter Daniel Nava Coco crisp Todd Frasier Norichika Aoki Michael Morse Kelly Johnson Josh Donaldson Justin Morneau John Buck Evan Gattis Adam Dunn pitching Doug Fister Derek Holland Hyun-Jin Ryu Brandon Morrow Paul Maholm Trevor Cahill Jason Hammel Wandy Rodriguez Jose Veras J.J. Hoover J.J. Putz DL (coach53 from CT)	Hey coach. It's always difficult to answer a full blown roster question without having access to everyone else's roster and teams. Generally speaking, your offense looks strong, although in a shallow league under performing players like Weeks should probably be shown the door. On the pitching side, I think that Lincecum is a weak play for an eight-team mixed format. None of the free agents stand out, but Aoki could arguably be added to your squad. (Mike Gianella)
2013-05-24 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Joe Mauer is a hall of fame player and will go down as one of the top five catchers of all time or Joe Mauer is an overhyped, overpaid, injury waiting to happen, no power bum. This is the two attitudes of Twins Fans. Why, Joe Mauer least of the problems of the team? Will we see a playoff caliver team in MN in the next 5-6 years. (Joe Mauer's Uncle from Joemauerville, MN (St. Paul))	Everybody eventually hates everybody. Players should try to figure out a way to keep their salaries secret. We know these guys are all rich, and we don't begrudge them for it, but we don't have to know exactly to the run how many wins they should be producing to justify their contracts. (Sam Miller)
2013-05-07 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Writing this Monday afternoon, and as of now, The Mariners have played 33 games, a half-dozen have played 32, most have played 31 or 30, and then there are the White Sox (29), Mets (28), Indians (28), Royals (27) and Twins (27). How much do you value the extra games, the games not yet played, that guys on those last few teams still have in front of them? In other words, taking an otherwise neutral trade (i.e., Matt Wieters (32 games played for the Orioles so far) for Joe Mauer, or something), how much should those games matter? (Matt Trueblood from Fridley, MN)	Not much at all. It's five games, probably 3-5% of a catcher's seasons and you have no idea how they'll fare (or if they'll even play those games). It'd have to be 10+ to start mattering. (Paul Sporer)
2013-04-30 12:00:00 (link to chat)	What kind of career path do you envision for Matt Wieters from here on out? (Stan from Milwaukee)	More of the same probably. Wieters isn't a switch-hitting Joe Mauer but he is a quality backstop. (R.J. Anderson)
2013-04-10 20:00:00 (link to chat)	MG What's going on? In a yahoo league rotisserie standard 8 team league. I really need to make a couple of adjustments. Need to add another pitcher and solid bar to this line up. This league is tough with trades! Who should we ditch and is there anyone we should be tracking or picking up? Here is the squad, 1. (6) Albert Pujols 1B 2. (11) Joe Mauer C,1B 3. (22) Jacoby Ellsbury OF 4. (27) Evan Longoria 3B 5. (38) Matt Holliday OF 6. (43) Cliff Lee SP 7. (54) Shin-Soo Choo OF 8. (59) Jose Altuve 2B 9. (70) Jimmy Rollins SS 10. (75) Roy Halladay SP 11. (86) Huston Street RP 12. (91) Addison Reed RP 13. (102) Anthony Rizzo 1B 14. (107) Jason Grilli RP 15. (118) Tim Lincecum SP 16. (123) Alex Gordon OF 17. (134) Carlos Marmol RP 18. (139) Dan Haren SP 19. (150) Kenley Jansen RP 20. (155) Rickie Weeks 2B 21. (166) Alejandro De Aza OF 22. (171) J.P. Arencibia C Guys who are available. FYI Materson, ziti, e Santana, pettitte Crisp, wells, m Saunders, carpenter, werth (coach53 from Ct)	Hey Coach Without knowing what the rules are regarding how deep your reserve lists are and what your free agent pool looks like it's difficult to offer specific advice. Your roster looks strong, but 8-team mixed probably has a lot of rosters that look like this. Dan Haren and Tim Lincecum seem like players that you should be upgrading on. Feel free to drop Carlos Marmol, and as much as I love Kenley Jansen if there's a closer out there, get him; in an 8-team league you shouldn't be speculating on future saves but getting saves here and now. The free agents you list don't look particularly great which - again - makes me wonder how deep your reserve lists are. (Mike Gianella)
2013-04-12 14:00:00 (link to chat)	HEY DT What's going on? In a yahoo league rotisserie standard 8 team league. Standard starters C-all infield with 3 outfielders with a utility player. We use 2 SP,2RP 3P in general. I really need to make a couple of adjustments. Need to add another pitcher and solid bar to this line up. This league is tough with trades! Who should we ditch and is there anyone we should be tracking or picking up? Here is the squad, 1. (6) Albert Pujols 1B 2. (11) Joe Mauer C,1B 3. (22) Jacoby Ellsbury OF 4. (27) Evan Longoria 3B 5. (38) Matt Holliday OF 6. (43) Cliff Lee SP 7. (54) Shin-Soo Choo OF 8. (59) Jose Altuve 2B 9. (70) Jimmy Rollins SS 10. (75) Roy Halladay SP 11. (86) Huston Street RP 12. (91) Addison Reed RP 13. (102) Anthony Rizzo 1B 14. (107) Jason Grilli RP 15. (118) Tim Lincecum SP 16. (123) Alex Gordon OF 17. (134) Carlos Marmol RP 18. (139) Dan Haren SP 19. (150) Kenley Jansen RP 20. (155) Rickie Weeks 2B 21. (166) Alejandro De Aza OF 22. (171) J.P. Arencibia C Guys who are available. SP: Lance Lynn Doug Fister Josh Beckett A.J. Griffin Brett Anderson Trevor Cahill Homer Bailey Tommy Hanson RP Shelby Miller John Axford David Phelps Andrew Cashner Hitters: Melky Cabrera David Freese Norichika Aoki Angel Pagan Coco Crisp A.J. Pierzynski Matt Carpenter Daniel Murphy (coach53 from CT)	Wow, there is a ton of talent on the FA list. I would certainly target Lynn, Anderson, and Miller on the mound, especially since your pitching is hurting with Lincecum, Haren, and Halladay. That would be my #1 priority, no doubt. Among the hitters, I like Freese, Crisp, and Aoki. But you are pretty solid in the OF and 3B already, so that would be a secondary concern. (Doug Thorburn)
2013-02-27 20:00:00 (link to chat)	What High OBP guys are your favorite draft picks this year? (PGT from Louisiana)	Joe Mauer is always a guy I like in AVG or OBP formats; he offers a lot of value through those categories at a tough position to fill. If he's healthy, Lance Berkman is a great OBP guy...and he's moving to a great park in a strong line-up. The health is a huge if, of course. (Mike Gianella)
2012-10-01 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I am about to finish third in a league for the fourth year in a row, and my Achilles Heel has been catching. Can you give me some advice about the value of good catchers and any tips for 2013? (Rick from Sarasota, FL)	Wow, consistent run. I don't think there is an ideal strategy for drafting catchers. I've read many pundits say avoid paying top dollar, but I've had success doing so. I've also had success investing avoiding the top dollar guys. I tend to like catchers that might see time at other positions, and thus, receive more plate appearances than others (think Ryan Doumit, Carlos Santana, Joe Mauer, etc). I also like younger catchers with some breakout potential. (Josh Shepardson)
2012-09-19 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Should Joe Mauer get into the Hall? (iorg34 from MN)	If he retired tomorrow,probably not. I think he certainly COULD do well enough in the rest of his career to justify inclusion, but that's not to say that he will. (Colin Wyers)
2012-08-14 14:00:00 (link to chat)	If you had to choose between Buster Posey and Joe Mauer based on their careers to date plus their futures, who would you take? (Klochner from MN)	Both are amazing players, but I'll take Posey. Mauer has had two seasons where he has slugged over .500 and he's 29 now. Posey has the same number and he's 25. 25! I'm not sure people talk enough about how amazing Buster Posey is. Looking at where your question is from though I'm assuming that's not the answer you were hoping for. I think Mauer is bound for a 1B/C/DH kind of hybrid guy after Morneau's contract ends in 2013. You just don't see catchers as big as Mauer catch into their mid to late 30s and with Mauer's bat the Twins are going to want to keep him as healthy as they can. (Matthew Kory)
2012-07-30 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Can you rank the top 5 catchers for the rest of 2012 in an obp league? (Jim from NY)	1- Buster Posey 2- Joe Mauer 3- Yadier Molina 4- Brian McCann 5- Mike Napoli Miguel Montero and Matt Wieters could easily jump into the mix. (Josh Shepardson)
2012-06-29 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you think Joe Mauer will make the Hall? (iorg34 from Uffda)	Much longer shot than I thought 2-3 years ago. He's not going to stick at catcher forever, and he can't deliver the kind of power that made his best seasons so special. (Jay Jaffe)
2012-06-13 12:00:00 (link to chat)	Starting Catcher A has a .907 OPS (playing in a pitcher's park), RF/9 and RF/G well above that of the league and has thrown out 40% of runners attempting to steal; thus, AJ Ellis is currently the best catcher in the NL, no? As an aside, there are currently SIX starting catchers with an OPS above .900 (and neither Joe Mauer nor Carlos Santana is one of them). What the heck is going on here? (Silv from NY, NY)	He's having a good season, to be sure, and while I doubt that he'll keep up his current pace PECOTA likes him a fair amount as a hitter. In terms of his caught stealing rate - I'm uncomfortable attributing all of that to him. There are certainly pitchers who are better or worse at holding runners on to begin with, and I think one of the woefully unexamined areas of baseball study is trying to untangle that interaction, rather than attributing the whole of it to the catcher. (Colin Wyers)
2012-04-13 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Which catcher would currently score a larger deal on an open market, Joe Mauer or Matt Wieters? (Sam from Columbia, SC)	Tough question. Mauer is the better hitter even if he never approaches his 2009 level - he's got 43 points of career True Average on Wieters (.305 to .260), but he's also three years older and already starting to break down physically. Meanwhile, Wieters has developed into a solid player but hardly the star many (BP as well as prospect mavens elsewhere) predicted he would be. I don't think either would get a bank-breaking Yadier-esque deal if they were suddenly free agents. (Jay Jaffe)
2012-01-24 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Would you rather have Geovany Soto at $3, and Cole Hamels at $23 or Joe Mauer at $22 and RA Dickey at $4. I'm thinking my Mauer fanboyness is overruling my good sense, Help? (Paul from Minnesota)	Definitely Hamels/Soto. No question. I don't know how much of a bargain Hamels is at that price, but Mauer definitely isn't, and I don't think Dickey is either in a mixed league. (Derek Carty)
2011-11-30 13:00:00 (link to chat)	That is a risky proposition but I’m thinking of acquiring Joe Mauer in my Scoresheet league.What are the chances he comes back to his usual level of playing and that he remains at catcher position ? (Spirou from Montreal)	I'm not high on Mauer's long term future at catcher right now. If you assume his usual level is closer to 2007/2008/2010 than 2006/2009 and don't overpay, then maybe it works, but you have to seriously consider the risk factor that it doesn't. (Jay Jaffe)
2011-05-18 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Injuries are plaguing my team at the moment. - Joe Mauer - Pablo Sandoval - Andrew Bailey - And now Ike Davis Which first baseman do you think will have the most value in the short term? - Brett Wallace (who I picked up and can quickly drop) - Mitch Moreland - Eric Hosmer (HonusCobb from Hopedale, IL)	I'll jump on the Eric Hosmer bandwagon here. He's made a pretty smooth transition to the major leagues and is also showing power. I like Wallace a lot, too, but he plays on a bad team, which cuts down on his RBI opportunities. (John Perrotto)
2010-07-23 13:00:00 (link to chat)	No need to get down and dirty with JAWS, but how do you see Jorge Posada's Hall chances stacking up? I assume the bat would play, but once we deduct the necessary points for defense and historically bad baserunning, would there be enough left? How much weight have Hall voters historically assigned to the defensive component of catcher performance? (Ben from NYC)	Covered Posada a few times, it's one that inevitably comes up; most recently I wrote about him in the context of Joe Mauer (http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=10380). He's gotta keep hitting for a couple of years, still. Interestingly enough, our defensive system showed him at +23 coming into the year, where the average Hall catcher is +69. The evidence suggests the voters do value defense when it comes to their Hall backstops; tack 100 FRAA onto Ted Simmons (who's at -24) and he's probably in. (Jay Jaffe)
2010-07-09 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I'm starting to get a little bit of a bust vibe from Matt Wieters. Do you still think he will become a franchise player ala close to Joe Mauer? (Tooky from Golden State)	I think Daniel Gilbert might have tried to curse the Baltimore Ravens for skipping town, but instead his black magic missed and he hit the Orioles. I'm not touching that team until their horrific luck stops. (Marc Normandin)
2010-06-10 13:00:00 (link to chat)	The reputation that permitted him to steal the 2006 MVP from the clearly correct choice, Joe Mauer? (Minneapolitan from Nashville)	That's the one! I think he got tired of people saying Justin Smoak was the switch-hitting Justin Morneau, or that Joey Votto was the hitter people thought Justin Morneau was. He's taken it up a notch or six. (Marc Normandin)
2010-05-19 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Given his athleticism, I always thought Joe Mauer would make a good 3B if the Twins ever moved him off catcher. Besides the change-of-position risk, how much additional risk would there be to have him play 3B most of the time and catch when Ramos (or whomever) needs a day off behind the plate? (Patrick from MPLS)	It'd be a massive net reduction in risk beyond the short term. Catchers take such abuse back there. I've advocated this for a while and would do it gradually. (Will Carroll)
2010-04-01 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Love the expanded player comments...please keep them. My question has to do with the website. Last year, Joe Sheehan wrote an entire article about a single play Joe Mauer made in a game against the yankess. It was fantastic, the kind of informed sportswriting I can't find elsewhere. That's the kind of writing I miss the most and I'm waiting for one of the current bp authors to take over this role. Is anyone going to be doing this? (tcayou from AZ)	The short answer is yes. We just need some games first! On a related note, did you see Jay Jaffe's bit on Pat Venditte yesterday? http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=10418. (Steven Goldman)
2010-03-26 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you think teams will make more straight payout contracts like Joe Mauer's? i.e. fewer backloaded deals? (LJ from Bridgewater, NJ)	Well, as I tried to show in today's piece on Mauer, it does make a certain sense to do exactly that, because the value of a win on the open market will reliably continue to rise, such that a player in the decline phase of his career will have to do less to justify his deal X years down the road than today. That said, there are plenty of times where a backloaded deal makes sense. Teams don't sign players in a vacuum, and for budgetary reasons they need to stagger their big-dollar expenses. They may also be able to take advantage of the fact that they can fill needs from within down the road and jump out of the way of big balloon payments. (Jay Jaffe)
2010-03-15 16:00:00 (link to chat)	What's with the Twins locking up pre-eligible players? The option years for both Blackburn and Span don't seem that favorable, and perhaps both players have already hit their ceilings...is this just a prelude to a Mauer signing and the Twins are just trying to get some cost certainty? (Noah from Kalamazoo)	If Span has hit his ceiling, that's still a pretty good ceiling! I'm a fan of both players. Span gets on base and plays a decent outfield. Blackburn is allergic to walking batters. I'm guessing that a little bit of both ideas (Mauer and cost certainty) went into the mix. The Twins can protect themselves against both players winning huge arbitration numbers, and can in good accounting conscience begin offering Joe Mauer something approaching fair market value. (Russell A. Carleton)
2010-03-15 16:00:00 (link to chat)	Speaking of Mauer, the odds of him signing the biggest contract of all times with the Yanks is ______? (tommybones from brooklyn)	The depressing thing is that I'd put the odds around 25%. From a purely "I love this game" perspective, I like that Joe Mauer plays in Minnesota. And I want to believe that he really does want to stay in his home town and keep some brand loyalty to the Twins. But the Yankees will have an opening at catcher soon, Jesus Montero or no... and they will have gobs of cash because they are the Yankees... it sounds like a decent match. (Russell A. Carleton)
2010-02-23 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I know you're not privy to the negotiations, but how would you handicap the Joe Mauer derby? I'm a Red Sox fan who's hoping he stays put in Minnesota. (mattymatty2000 from Philly)	There's a certain poetry to his being there, being a hometown guy and all, and as much as I'm sure every fan of every team would love to have this guy on their club, in some cases we experience a sense of loss when a player who is so integral to a team moves on. I've been asked about the Mauer negotiations in nearly every radio spot I've done the last couple of days, and the answer is, as you said, I don't have any special insight, but it really comes down to how Mauer values staying with the Twins vs. getting every dime he can possibly get. There's no wrong answer there. (Steven Goldman)
2010-02-18 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Lets say B Harper stays behind the plate... Is he a better prospect than Joe Mauer was? (mikediaz from MO)	No. Period. (Kevin Goldstein)
2010-02-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Concerning fantasy: is there any gap larger in fantasy than Joe Mauer versus the catchers? Does that mean he's worth a top-7-or-so pick? (Adam from Dayton)	If Jose Reyes doesn't return to form (a big if, in my opinion) than SS would probably have something to say about that discussion, but yes, I think Mauer/C is the largest gap as things stand. I'm not sure what that says about his draft position yet though, because I'm still trying to wrap my head around just what it is I expect from him in 2010. (Marc Normandin)
2010-01-21 13:00:00 (link to chat)	When it's all said and done, will Joe Mauer be considered the best Catcher of all-time? (Ron from Vancouver)	No, because I'm not sure 50 percent of his career will even be spent catching. (Marc Normandin)
2010-01-26 14:00:00 (link to chat)	How do you see the Joe Mauer contract talks playing out? (Brock Dahlke from Shakopee, MN)	I think he probably signs a significant long term deal. He may be worried about his health long-term, and better a team take on that risk than that he does. That team might as well be the Twins. (Tommy Bennett)
2010-01-04 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Maybe the Twins should consider spending the free $20+ million they get every single year in revenue sharing on Joe Mauer. Funny how their payroll has not really increased much... (Jack from Chicago)	I didn't say it. I'm just the guy in the background . . . nodding my head. (Kevin Goldstein)
2009-12-01 13:00:00 (link to chat)	In 2012 Joe Mauer will be playing __ for the ___ ? (paulbellows from Calgary)	Catcher, Twins. I think Minnesota will finally pay up for someone, especially after the eh return on Santana. (Marc Normandin)
2009-11-19 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you still do the most valuable commodities in baseball article during the offseason? Was taht you who did it in the first place? Either way, wouldn't J Upton be #1? (brian from brooklyn)	That was Nate Silver's piece, although it's an interesting concept we should resurrect. I think Hanley Ramirez, Joe Mauer and Felix Hernandez all challenge Upton. (Joe Sheehan)
2009-11-02 15:00:00 (link to chat)	Joe, imagine for a moment you're Jed Hoyer...your budget will climb from $40 mil to $70 mil in 2011...where will you aim these new resources or is it entirely too early to tell? (JC from Hoboken)	I try to blow out the field for Joe Mauer. $30 million extra? "Joe, here's $30 million. Oh, and it's sunny 352 days a year. And Pacific Beach." (Joe Sheehan)
2009-10-09 13:30:00 (link to chat)	What's it cost for the Twins to extend Mauer this offseason? Surely they can't let him get to free agency when the Yankees and Red Sox would happily throw $120m/6 yrs. at him, can they? (SC from Minneapolis)	All we can do here is speculate, we have no idea what's really going on in Joe Mauer's head. (Kevin Goldstein)
2009-10-07 14:30:00 (link to chat)	Obviously it's hard to predict because he is just 26, but are we potentially seeing the greatest catcher of all time (maybe excluding Josh Gibson) in Joe Mauer? (ssteadman from St. Louis, MO)	Mauer is great, but best catcher of all time is a tall order even for a three-time batting champion, because Johnny Bench was so incredible on both sides of the ball -- his defense made Jose Molina look like Mike Piazza. (Jay Jaffe)
2009-10-06 13:30:00 (link to chat)	As a Yanks fan, should I be rooting for the Tigers or the Twins? Does it come down to Joe Mauer or the Tigers' trio? (Paul from Boston)	I'd root for the Twins. I just think the Tigers could be tough in that series, especially with Verlander able to pitch twice. (John Perrotto)
2009-10-02 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Joe Mauer will stop being a regular catcher in ___ and move to ___? (paulbellows from Calgary)	I'm off this. I think I was wrong about him--he's breaking the mold in many ways. (Joe Sheehan)
2009-09-24 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you think Buster Posey will be the Giants opening day catcher next season? If so do you think he and the Panda could be Morneau/Maur lite? (brianpekrul from San Francisco)	That's not a bad upside comp, although it may be a little underselling just what Joe Mauer is, how far above Posey he is. If Posey isn't the Giants' catcher next year, starting 120 times, it's a pretty big mistake. Bring back Bengie Molina if you have to, but in Jose's role. (Joe Sheehan)
2009-09-21 14:00:00 (link to chat)	What's wrong with Joe Mauer's narrative? Isn't he supposed to be the Derek Jeter of catchers or something? (Christopher from Nashville)	There's nothing "wrong" with it - I'm just echoing the sentiment that the standards for the award tend to shift from year to year, with voters retrofitting their qualifications for winning to whichever player they feel has the best story line. That said, catcher winning an unprecedented third batting title while keeping his team in contention (or better) into late September is a pretty good story line to have. (Jay Jaffe)
2009-09-14 16:30:00 (link to chat)	Matt, your choices for the major awards in each league (MVP, CY, ROY, MOY). If you answer anyone other than Joe Mauer, I will cry. (D. Delaney from Lehigh Valley)	Joe Mauer is an easy yes for AL MVP. NL MVP-- Pujols, AL Cy Young-- Greinke, NL Cy Young-- Lincecum. I mentioned earlier (probably after you submitted this question though) that the AL ROY was a toss up, but I'd probably go with Andrus or Niemann. The NL ROY should probably be Happ or Hanson. I think Hanson is clearly the better pitcher, but Happ's run prevention is probably a little better just on account of innings pitched. It's tough because the question is that if we know that Happ's peripherals indicate he's nowhere near as good as his ERA, does that mean we don't give him credit for it? I'd say no, because I don't think you take points off a hitter who is batting .350 on bloopers either. That said, I'd bet Hanson outperforms Happ enough in the next few weeks to make it moot. (Matt Swartz)
2009-08-17 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Care to weigh in on the Teixeira vs. Mauer debate that erupted over the weekend? (PSIllini from Champaign, IL)	Which is your favorite way to measure this? Mauer is a catcher with a .355 EqA, a 66.4 VORP and a 7.5 WARP. Teixeira is a first baseman with a .311 EqA, a 35.3 VORP and a 5.4 WARP. I think the world of Mark Teixeira – he was the first player I drafted in my current Strat league -- but the fact that there's a debate about this just amazes me. It's not Joe Mauer's fault that the Twins aren't able to leverage the most valuable commodity in the AL into a playoff berth. (Ken Funck)
2009-08-17 14:00:00 (link to chat)	What do you think Joe Mauer´s future looks like? [Will he eventually/when will he] move off Catcher to another less demanding position (like, which one?). And maybe, most important, where does he play after his current contract expires? And when does he get proper recognition, i.e. MVP? (Guillermo from Madrid, Spain)	I'm hoping this is the year he gets proper recognition, although it's not being discussed like the slam-dunk I would think it is. I'm probably very much in the minority on this, but I think he's going to stay behind the plate for a long, long time. Whatever deep-pocketed team signs him (the usual suspects are certainly going to apply) will be smart to DH him as needed, and when he retires we'll all feel privileged for getting to watch one of the best catchers of all time. Unless he gets hurt -- the BP Annual's comparison of Mauer/Kendall through their age-25 season is pretty freaky. (Ken Funck)
2009-08-25 13:00:00 (link to chat)	What goodies would have to be packaged to get Mauer this offseason? Would the Twins be interested in Buchholz, Bowden, Ellsbury + 2 upside low-A guys? Obviously the trade would be contingent upon getting him to sign an extension... (Theo from 4 Yawkey Way)	The Twins, heading into their new park, would be more likely to draw and quarter Justin Morneau than they would be to trade Joe Mauer. (Joe Sheehan)
2009-07-24 16:30:00 (link to chat)	Joe Mauer hit 9HR in May and 6 in the month and a half since then. What's his real power level? What do you see from him the rest of the season? Do you think Weiters will be better? (Aunt Jemima from Atlanta)	I feel like Mauer is going to be a 16-22 HR hitter with plenty of contact otherwise and patience to boot. A line of, say, .315/.410/.460 with 18 HR. Add in his reportedly stellar defense that spits in the face of Nichols Law, and that makes him the most underrated player in baseball, not this Matt Kemp character. Kemp is underrated in the sense that he is an all-star not known globally, etc. Mauer is underrated in the sense that he is one of the best players in baseball, period, and others might not think of him as anything more than a mere all star. (Eric Seidman)
2009-07-24 16:30:00 (link to chat)	Who do you like better as the top player in the two Holliday deals, Brett Wallace or Carlos Gonzalez? (acmcdowell from Athens, GA)	In his Single-A stint in 2008 and Double-A stint this year, Wallace has looked like Joe Mauer at the plate, which is certainly solid, but I've heard enough questions about his defense that he seems to be 1B-bound at the MLB level. On that note, if he can sustain patience and develop power, he could be a very productive MLB player. CarGo has been traded about 12 times already and has put up virtually identical OBP/SLG lines in both of his MLB stints so far. I'm always more inclined to take the CF over the 1B, but in this case I'll break from that mold and say Wallace. (Eric Seidman)
2009-06-18 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Is anybody else getting sick of Joe Mauer trying to selfishly distract us from talking about Matt Wieters or Bryce Harper? Give it up, dude. Hitting like Barry Bonds isn't impressing anybody. (Minneapolitan from Chicago)	Mauer is so 2004. Give it up, old man. Seriously though, Mauer's season has been pretty amazing so far. I'm not talking much about it, because I don't want to be responsible for jinxing it. (Marc Normandin)
2009-06-15 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Thanks for answering our questions and sweet gyroball, Will! Did Joe Mauer do some magic yoga or what to get over his back pain and become Babe Ruth? (Jim from Portland)	As with Contreras, we don't know. It's the opaqueness of baseball that makes us watchers sometimes seem like Kremlinologists, making educated guesses based on parade seats or in this case, an amazing month. Then again, it could be because I traded Mauer with Cliff Lee. (Will Carroll)
2009-06-08 14:00:00 (link to chat)	How's Joe Mauer ownership treating you in Tout? You're Bill Smith: How many years & dollars do you offer the Chairman? (iorg34 from PTP)	I'm in second, but starting to be bled a little by injuries and performance issues. My management of my fantasy teams has been weak this year. (Joe Sheehan)
2009-05-21 14:00:00 (link to chat)	I saw a mainstream publication's ranking of the top 50 baseball players the other day, with Joe Mauer down around 40th. Where, approximately, would you rank Mauer? (BL from Bozeman)	No lower than 10th. Pujols, Santana, Rodriguez, Wright, Halladay, Utley...I think then he gets into the mix. (Joe Sheehan)
2009-05-21 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Do you think Joe Mauer's new found power stroke is for real? (HuffWade from Chicago)	Yes. I think he hits 25 a year for a while. (Joe Sheehan)
2009-05-14 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Uh, is "kidney procedure" the new slang for superdupersteroids, or did Joe Mauer just decide to stop messing around and become Mike Piazza? (Dan Pawson from Boston, MA)	I traded him in Tout. No, really it's just the normal small-sample variations you'll see in any two week period for almost any player. Juan Pierre is tearing it up in Manny Ramirez's absence, but it doesn't make him a great player. Mauer is a great player and he's on one of those runs that you just sit back and enjoy. (Will Carroll)
2009-05-04 14:00:00 (link to chat)	Joe Mauer will cease being a regular catcher in 20__ (paulbellows from Calgary)	...10 (Joe Sheehan)
2009-04-16 13:00:00 (link to chat)	I have the first waiver claim in my fantasy league (roto, non keeper, mixed, 11 teams). I was waiting to use it on Matt Wieters when he gets called up, but someone just dropped Chien-Ming Wang. Do I spend it on him instead? I have Joe Mauer on the DL, btw. (OldBean from Boston)	Unless you're in my league, the answer is no. If you are in my league, yes, please God yes, use your waiver pick on Wang. (Marc Normandin)
2008-12-15 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Recently in a chat one of your fellow BP writers, Joe maybe, said that in a year or two Matt Weiters may be better than Joe Mauer. Mauer has one 2 of the last three batting titles and is probably the best fielder at his position. Even though he doesn't have the greatest power numbers, isn't that a stretch? Isn't Mauer healthy now? (Wendy from Madrid)	Mauer's one of the best players in the game, so saying someone who hasn't played a game is that good or better? Well, everyone that's seen him play raves, so I have to believe he's got that upside. I worry about any catcher, especially Mauer with his leg problems, staying healthy when most of their value is in the bat. I think it will be a great debate to have in a couple years. (Will Carroll)
2008-10-17 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Last year Jorge Posada had a great year, and Russell Martin was the hot name while Joe Mauer suffered from a hernia and his batting average dropped 60 points, although he had a tremendous defensive season. Has he now regained the reputation as the game's best catcher? (Wendy from Madrid)	Forget reputation, he is the best all-around catcher and should be considered for MVP. Mauer's a guy who I would have on the very short list of "guys to build a franchise around." (Will Carroll)
2008-09-16 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Why is Joe Mauer so unloved in AL MVP discussions? (Aaron from YYZ)	Unfairly overshadowed by Mourneau on his own team/traditional prejudice against guys who don't have big HR, RBI titles. Maybe if he wins the batting title it will be a little different, as there's not really a slam dunk candidate this year. (Steven Goldman)
2008-08-18 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Can Jason Kubel be put in the same sentence as Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau? (Brock D from Shakopee, MN)	"Jason Kubel, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau have never been in my kitchen." Yes. Kubel's not that guy. He's a good fourth banana on a team missing a third. Now, anyway...I suspect he has some late kick in him that gets him to a .300/.380/.520 peak for a couple of years. (Joe Sheehan)
2008-03-05 13:00:00 (link to chat)	re: Corey Hart fan club name .... easy "Sunglasses in Right" As for Moving Pictures .... best RUSH album ever! Fantasy question: Is there any scenario in which Johan goes first in a mixed league, non-keeper snake draft? (dianagramr from NYC)	Sunglasses in Right, eh? Any others folks? I'm counting on you here. If Johan goes first, it's your job to make that fantasy owner pay for it the rest of the draft. We had someone pick Joe Mauer third last year overall, and he hasn't lived it down yet. (Marc Normandin)
2008-01-23 13:00:00 (link to chat)	Nate, how likely do you think it is that Joe Mauer becomes more of a power hitter at some point? As a Twins fan, I hope for more than a souped up Jason Kendall career. (collins from greenville nc)	PECOTA is no longer showing much potential for a power breakout for Mauer, and that definitely constitutes a downgrade of sorts from last year. But the Jason Kendall analogy is lowballing a bit. Think Wade Boggs as a catcher. Where's Margo Adams when you need her? (Nate Silver)

BP Roundtables

Date	Roundtable Name	Comment
2010-10-06 10:00:00	2010 Playoffs Day One	Wouldn't mind if it meant Joe Mauer was leading off the the Twins, that's for sure. (Brandon Warne)
2010-07-13 16:30:00	All-Star Game	Joe Mauer looks just like the guy who plays him in the video game commercial... (Steven Goldman)
2009-10-28 17:00:00	2009 WS Game One	Steven - It was Joe Mauer, 426 to dead center http://www.hittrackeronline.com/hrdetail.php?id=2009_1085 (Dan Wade)
2009-10-12 15:00:00	Phillies/Rockies Playoffs Roundtable	Nick (Portland): If I am the Rays I would try to trade for Chris Ianetta the second the Rockies are eliminated. If I'm Cashman, or Epstein, or ... well, just about every GM who doesn't have Joe Mauer on a roster, I'd be trying to pry Iannetta loose from the Rockies. Let them have their moment of clutch, I want a guy who can be a long-term solution at the position. (Jay "Chicken" Jaffe)

Advanced Catching Metrics

Year	lvl	CSAA	Framing Runs	Blocking Chances	EPAA	Blocking Runs	SB Attempts	SRAA	TRAA	Throwing Runs	FRAA Adj.	FRAA
2004	mlb	.023	6.0	973	-.001	0.2	17	-.008	-.002	0.1	6.4	5.9
2005	mlb	.013	12.3	3929	.000	0.0	47	-.101	-.003	3.1	14.3	13.7
2006	mlb	.015	17.3	4412	.000	0.0	55	-.047	-.006	2.0	18.3	17.0
2007	afa	.000	0.0	57	.001	0.0	1	.011	.001	0.0	0.0	0.0
2007	mlb	.003	2.7	3318	.000	-0.5	42	-.179	-.005	4.7	6.2	3.7
2008	mlb	.003	3.3	4926	.001	-1.4	73	-.051	-.003	2.6	3.9	2.4
2009	mlb	.008	8.3	4331	.000	-0.6	65	-.003	-.010	0.6	8.3	5.6
2009	afa	.000	0.0	105	.001	0.0	1	-.020	.002	0.0	0.0	-0.2
2010	mlb	.011	10.4	4033	.001	-1.4	65	.002	-.006	-0.2	8.4	7.0
2011	mlb	.019	7.5	1823	.005	-2.9	34	.000	-.004	0.1	4.7	6.6
2011	afa	.000	0.0	242	.000	0.0	3	-.012	-.001	0.0	0.1	0.0
2012	mlb	-.002	-1.2	2894	.001	-0.8	55	.058	.000	-1.9	-3.6	-7.9
2013	mlb	-.002	-1.4	3061	.000	0.2	38	-.045	-.014	1.0	-0.6	-0.9
2018	mlb	.000	0.0	0	.000	0.0	0	.000	.000	0.0	0.0	2.0

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC

PITCHf/x Hitter Profile

A Collaboration between BrooksBaseball.net and Baseball Prospectus - Pitch classifications provided by Pitch Info LLC