6/12/09

Extending Joe Mauer: looking at the financial context

An extension to Joe Mauer, who is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2010 season is deemed a priority for this team. However, the Twins have other players as well who will demand salary raises at this point, because there are arbitration-eligible. Here is a list of the arbitration-eligible and free agents (in parenthesis the money that would be freed by not re-signing them) for the Minnesota Twins after the 2009 and 2010 seasons. With trading season ahead, this might be a core of players around whom the Twins will look to build a trade.

After the 2009 season:

Free Agents:

Luis Ayala ($1.3M+)
Joe Crede ($2.3M+)
Mike Redmond ($950K)

Arbitration Eligible:

Boof Bonser
Jesse Crain
Carlos Gomez (super 2)
Matt Guerrier
Fransisco Liriano
Pat Neshek
Brendan Harris
Glen Perkins (super 2)
Delmon Young


After the 2010 season:

Free Agents:

Jesse Crain ($1.7M+)
Mike Cuddyer (team option) ($9.4M)
Matt Guerrier ($1.5M+)
Jason Kubel (team option) ($4.1M)
Joe Mauer
Nick Punto (team option) ($4M)

Arbitration Eligible:

Nick Blackburn
Boof Bonser
Brian Buscher
Alexi Casilla
Carlos Gomez
Fransisco Liriano
Pat Neshek
Brendan Harris
Glen Perkins
Kevin Slowey
Matt Tolbert
Delmon Young

Additional money that will come off the payroll after the 2009 season is the $2.6M the Twins are paying Mike Lamb. Furthermore, Phillip Humber is paid $1.15M this season (thanks to a major league contract signed by the Mets). Releasing him will alleviate that cost

The source of most information for his was Cot's Baseball Contracts.

2 comments:

Juanie said...

Twins fans shouldn't be concerned. Mauer is not going anywhere any time soon. It's not a matter of if but when. The Twins will be resigning him when the time is right (probably this offseason). It will be a record-setting deal, but it will be necessary for the best catching, and one of the most irreplaceable players in the game. If they were to let him go, the organization could just as well pack up and move out of the Twin Cities, especially after the tax payers gave the team a new home. This should generate enough money to put a competitive team around Mauer for years to come

thrylos98 said...

I agree. And I hope it happens earlier than later. On the other hand, I suspect that some of the players listed will not be signed (or get traded) because of the limited fund situation with a Mauer signing. The payroll can push $100 million, if the new stadium is a success, but still some of the young guys will be due for sizable pay raises.