And why not? If I were GM Terry Ryan, I’d be ready to offer Mauer whatever it costs to lock him up for 5-7 years. Finding a great hitting catcher that can also play defense is a rare find in the MLB. Here’s what Rotoworld had to say about it:

“Twins’ general manager Terry Ryan isn’t necessarily going to prioritize getting Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and Michael Cuddyer inked to long-term deals.

When asked about whether he’s make signing the three to long-terms deals a priority, Ryan said “Not necessarily, because I think both sides have to be realistic, and sometimes the sides don’t have any interest. They’d rather go a year at a time. Some would take the security. Some agents are much more receptive to a young player getting security. Some agents aren’t going to have any interest in talking about a year. You’re talking about our 3, 4 and 5 hitters. There isn’t anyone more or less [of a priority] for me. They are all equal.” If the Twins don’t try to lock up these guys while they can, it would be a big mistake.”