The Twins Problem At Third Base: Solved
Joe Mauer, all-star catcher, batting champ catcher, MVP catcher, Gold Glove catcher, fan favorite catcher, could solve the Minnesota Twins problem at third base single-handedly. Throughout the years with injuries and such Mauer has sparked conversations about him moving to the third base position. He has expressed resentment at such thoughts, and has proven himself to be an exceptional catcher, but maybe he needs to take one for the team here and make the switch now. The Twins’ main problem right now is not having a quality guy at that corner position and while it would be a downgrade to put someone else at catcher the replacement, the current backup catcher Jose Morales, is better offensively than Brendan Harris.
Jose Morales is a 26-year-old right-handed catcher from Puerto Rico. His first full season in the big leagues was 2009 (he played one game in 2008 going 3-3 with a double, two singles, and a run) as one of the two backups for Mauer and also was the designated hitter on occasion. He played a bunch in April when Mauer was out with kidney problems. He hit .311 in 119 at-bats and while never really showing showed that he could hit. I watched him at spring training this spring and was very impressed, he was fun to watch. While questions do need to be answered considering he has never played an entire major league season he is definitely fit for the job. The Twins have their confidence in him as they traded decided to release Mike Redmond who had been the main backup for Mauer. Yet is this guy be ready to be behind the plate almost every day for a major league ballclub?
The Twins would also need to figure out a backup. Mauer would be accessible to come in from third and then you plop Harris back in at third. The Twins catcher in AAA, Drew Butera, is not ready to come yet and would not benefit from sitting on the bench most games. It would not be an issue for Mauer to play third and also be the backup catcher. The Twins would just have to coordinate the guys’ rest days so they don’t both need to rest at the same time. This saves money, the Twins don’t need to sign someone else to a new contract, and they get Morales’ excellent bat into the lineup. Problem solved.