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I've never been a big Joe Mauer fan from a fantasy standpoint. He doesn't hit for power -- the 13 home runs he hit in 2006 are his career high by five. And playing 140+ games a year as catcher has turned the 13 bases he swiped in 2005 into a one-time-only proposition. (Last year he posted only one SB, out of a whopping two tries.)
So he's a three-category guy, which is perfectly fine as he usually logs more ABs than your typical catcher (520+ a year when he's healthy) and knocks a ton of hits (a lifetime .317 average). But for these reasons ... and because he was so hyped when he first came up ... and because he hit double digits in SBs one year when his knees were young ... he's often drafted ridiculously high. According to Yahoo's draft analysis, he's being picked on average around 50th overall in Yahoo leagues, the third catcher selected, after Martin and McCann. In the past, he's gone even higher. I've seen Mauer taken in the third round in many a league during the last two years.
I've always skipped him, as there's no need to spend such an early pick on a three-category catcher. If you do want to draft a catcher that soon, take a five-category guy like Martin or a four-category contributor like McCann or Soto. Otherwise, why take Mauer so early when you can get somebody like Ryan Doumit (15 HRs, .318 AVG in 2008) four rounds later? Or somebody like Bengie Molina (16 HRs, 95 RBI, .292 AVG in 2008) nine rounds later? If you've done your research, you can get much more value from the C position by targeting later in the draft a quality backstop who might not have Joe Mauer's name recognition but can still help you in multiple categories.
Of course, I could have just as easily written all of this a month ago. It's worth repeating now because now it looks like Mauer's opening-day status is in doubt because of something called a inflamed sacroiliac joint which is making his back ache like a bitch. The Twins are saying he's going to be fine, but roto-wise, the injury puts a gigantic red flag over a player I never thought was worth spending a premium draft pick on in the first place. The injury note is like the wooden skull-and-crossbones sign you see in cartoons blocking the cave where all the dynamite is about to blow. DO NOT ENTER.
So, yeah, if you haven't drafted yet ... again, for the last time this year -- kindly pass on Mauer. If you've already drafted and he's on your roster, don't try to trade him now, as his value is down thanks to the injury. But if he's back on the field by the end of April and hitting well, you may want to consider offers for him. (I'm no doctor, but based on the testimonies of everyone in my family over 40, I'm fairly certain back pain can recur.) It's possible you could still get fourth-round trading value for him if you've got a manager in your league desperate for a catcher.
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