Joe Mauer is in the final year of his long-term, big-money contract with the Minnesota Twins, and he says he will weigh retirement after the season.
Mauer, 35, spoke with The Star Tribune’s La Velle E. Neal III and shared his thoughts on potentially stepping away from the game.
“There’s a lot that goes into it than just, ‘Do you want to play?’” Mauer said, via the Star Tribune. “There’s a lot of different dynamics that go into it. I owe it to myself and my family to sit down and think about those things.”
Mauer called retirement a “big decision” and said he wants to be 100 percent certain before making such a call. You can read his entire quotes here.
A six-time All-Star and former MVP, Mauer has not been the same player since suffering a concussion that ended his 2013 season. His play dropped off significantly after that, he moved positions, and became less valuable overall while costing a fortune at $23 million per season. Mauer batted .305 with an .801 OPS last season and appeared to be turning things around somewhat, but he suffered a concussion again in May this year.
If Mauer decides he does want to continue his playing career, the Twins say they will be open to that.
