2010 Baseball

[patronsaintofcheeseburgers]

They would rebuild it there...seriously dude there's a ton of real estate in Chavez Ravine.

[Lesley]

I was pleased to read this morning that Mauer has agreed with a contract to stay with the Twins for 8 years! Too bad about Nathan though - this makes me a sad panda.

[patronsaintofcheeseburgers]

Yeah I read something somewhere that said, Twins fans now need to thank Mauer by buying tickets to the games. Happy for you guys Mauer is an awesome person. I truly wish more athletes were like him.

[Howard]

Alas, I haven't been able to make one Spring Training game. Thinking about either the game against the Pirates on Sat or the Rays on Sunday.

[PHEDG]

The deal covers the 2011-18 seasons and is the fourth largest – both in total value and average salary – in major league history. Mauer will make $12.5 million this year in the final season of a $33 million, four-year deal and will earn $23 million in each of the following eight seasons under the extension.

The $184 million total worth is fourth behind two deals signed by Alex Rodriguez – the $275 million deal with the Yankees signed in December 2007 and a $252 million contract signed with Texas in December 2000 – and Derek Jeter's $189 million deal signed with the Yankees in 2001 that expires after this season.

The only players to have a higher average salary than Mauer's $23 million are Roger Clemens ($28,000,022 prorated deal in 2007 – he actually received $17,442,637 – with the Yankees) and Rodriguez, who had average salaries of $25.2 million under the 2001-10 contract originally signed with Texas that he cut short and $27.5 million in a deal with the Yankees that runs through 2017.

Yankees ace CC Sabathia also has an average salary of $23 million as part of a deal that runs from 2009-15.

Mauer easily will become the highest-paid catcher, surpassing the $13.1 million Jorge Posada earns annually under a $52.4 million, four-year contract with the Yankees that runs through 2011.

The Mauer deal which is $104 million more than Pohlad family has ever spent on a contract.

If the Twins continue to field a payroll of about $100 million a season, Mauer will be eating up 23 percent of that.

Historically, having one player take up such a large chunk of the total payroll has been a dangerous recipe, especially for a mid-market team that can have trouble finding the money to field a good enough supporting cast to win. Still, knowing what Mauer would command and in the midst of negotiations with his agent, Ron Shapiro, the Twins haven't slowed down this spring, signing Denard Span to a five-year, $16.5 million deal and Nick Blackburn to a four-year, $14 million extension.

The Twins now have $71.35 million committed to eight players for the 2011 season but can put the worry and stress of opening Target Field without their franchise player and hometown hero locked up long term behind them. Getting the deal done now, before Opening Day, alleviates the distraction and strain that inevitably comes when such a high-profile player enters the final year of his contract.

All of this money just boggles the mind.

[Abraham Smashington]

It's so fucking retarded. They get paid like that to THROW/HIT a fucking ball.

[PHEDG]

This guy catches too though, Rob!

[Abraham Smashington]

OMG PAY HIM EXTRA 2 MILLION.

[BillyG]

I wish I had been 4 inches taller so I could have been a basketball player.

[Captain Russ]

I just dream of it, like Fletch.

With the afro and everything.

[B_Metal]

Obama should outlaw paying ballplayers that much money and force the owners of teams to pay them something less fucking retarded and commandeer the rest of the money and use it to pay our debt. Fuck sports owners and their outrageous amount of money. IT'S A FUCKING GAME!!!

[Captain Russ]

This is one sport where the inclusion of athletes brandishing firearms would be a bonus.

No safeties. Those are for pussies.

[V]

Any Yankee fans here?

Well... you can thank George Steinbrenner for creating the fucking mess that baseball is in today.

Why, you ask?

By paying $100,000 dollars to the Atlanta Braves to buy out Andy Messerschmidt's contract in 1976, he effectively created 'free agency'...

Now, you have to pay $8.50 for a hot dog and $6 for a 12 oz beer to subsidise the $100-150 mil contracts.

Professional baseball will be dead within 30 years.

Thanks, George... you fucking cock.

[Howard]

*points finger at Bryan* "There's the Yankee fan."

[B_Metal]

*points finger at Bryan* "There's the Yankee fan."

*Points too.* "Yeah, Bryan loves the Yankees. STONE HIM!!"