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2008 Since making Joe Mauer their starting catcher in April of 2004, the Twins have played 648 games; Mauer has played 415. That's a problem, and it's not going away until the Twins pick a new position for their franchise player. That he's an excellent catcher isn't the point; the Twins need his bat in the lineup 150 times a season, and they need Mauer to develop into the guy he was in 2006, but with more power. None of that will happen until he's a third baseman or left fielder. His recurring leg injuries are a flashing red sign that he should be moved. 2007 Mauer is the best position player on the Twins, and one of the best in all of baseball. The scary thing is that he`s probably only going to get better from here: the 36 doubles and 13 home runs he hit last year are going to slowly morph into something more like 25/25 over the next few years, and that batting average is anything but a fluke. Oh yeah, and we haven`t even mentioned how good he is defensively. We`re guessing all that talk about the Twins making a mistake by taking the hometown boy over Mark Prior with the first pick of the 2001 draft has calmed down a bit. 2006 The Twins managed his comeback from the knee injury carefully, and he responded by giving them a full season that makes it clear he`s every bit the prospect he was built up to be. It`s hard to know how great Mauer will become, because he`s unlike almost anyone in history. He`s huge for a catcher, which makes some worry about whether he`ll be able to stay behind the plate. Complicating things is that he`s not just a good catcher, he`s a very good catcher, working well with the pitching staff to deter the running game while also being a smooth receiver. So, as a catcher, does he stay or does he go? There is the expectation that Mauer is going to become a major power source as he gets older, which is a lot to risk given a catcher`s standard risks for a career-altering injury. However, the upside of having him there, given his talents and the scarcity of offense at the position, is so great that it`s worth seeing if he can handle the next couple of years behind the plate. 2005 If Kubel's knee is Questionable Joint #1, Joe Mauer's knee isn't all that far behind as Questionable Joint #1A. The Twins are telling everyone that there's no problem, and if you smoke enough oregano, you might completely believe it. Don't listen, because their actions tell you they're worried. Why else pick up both Mike Redmond and Corky Miller this winter? Even if or when Mauer is healed up, there's still the issue of his size, since he's probably the biggest catcher in the league behind the perpetually fragile Sandy Alomar. It's time to accept that Bunyanesque catchers aren't meant for long and healthy careers. The kid can hit, so the Twins will need to make sure they don't sacrifice his bat if squatting isn't feasible. Stay tuned.
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