Media Coverage

The significance of the Mauer market

By: Buster Olney

The agent for Joe Mauer wouldn't characterize the state of the catcher's negotiations with the Twins on Thursday, or discuss them in any way, which isn't a surprise.  That's not really Ron Shapiro's style.  We are accustomed to hearing a lot from Scott Boars every winter about what his players deserve, about their standing as iconic players and about whether owners are committed to winning (i.e., whether they are willing to give record-setting contracts to his iconic players).

As Mauer's contract negotiations with the Twins play out in the months ahead -- and really, in the big picture for baseball, this might be the sport's most important storyline, considering all the current concern about the state of parity and disparity in the majors -- you will not be hearing a lot, if anything, from Shapiro.  He has never believed in that.

Shapiro wrote a book called "The Power of Nice: How to Negotiate So Everyone Wins -- Especially You!"  The fact that Shapiro is representing Mauer should not be dismissed as a factor in these negotiations, because while the catcher -- whose talents are unique, when cast against history -- is ultimately going to get a whole lot of money no matter where he winds up, Shapiro's history of negotiating suggests that money will not be the only issue.

Mauer is, of course, a Minnesota native; he was drafted and developed and has thrived for his hometown team.  Presumably, this will be a major consideration for him, as he weighs the offers he is given by the Twins in the months ahead.  The question of whether the Twins will be able to compete will be part of the equation.

Shapiro has said in the past, in speaking at seminars, "My approach is an approach predicated on not having to beat the other side, but to gain the objectives of my clients."

It's easy to say this, but Shapiro has walked the walk with this as his philosophy.  He represented two superstars who played their entire careers with the same team -- Kirby Puckett and Cal Ripken -- and along the way, he pushed the financial envelope, as well.  He negotiated a tentative deal for Puckett, but as the negotiations neared the finish line, Carl Pohlad pulled the plug on the proposal that Shapiro and GM Andy McPhail had discussed.  Puckett went into free agnecy, and the Twins wound up re-signing him for a deal that was record-setting at the time, and more than they would have to under the terms of the proposed deal.

Shapiro engaged in some tough talks with the Orioles over Ripken, who also got a record-setting deal to stay with his hometown team.  So the Mauer talks won't simply be a matter of the catcher surrendering his negotiating leverage to stay with the Twins; Minnesota must be prepared to pay.

The Twins will go into this, however, knowing that they have a shot, and that Mauer (and Shapiro) won't be focused only on the great offer they know they could get, after the 2010 season, from the Yankees or the Red Sox.  But Shapiro isn't going to talk about that with the media.  He will talk with Mauer, and the Twins, and we'll see where it goes from here.