The Twins and Joe Mauer announced today that Mauer will switch positions and move from catcher to first base on a full-time basis beginning in 2014.
Mauer decided to make the change to first base after consulting with Twins doctors and doctors at the Mayo Clinic.
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) November 11, 2013
A media release from the Twins cited medical concerns as the primary reason Mauer and the team made the switch.
After consultation with doctors from Mayo Clinic and team doctors, and given the inherent risks of future injury at the catcher position, the organization and Joe determined that it would be in the best interest of both him and the Twins for a position change.
It goes on to say:
Mauer is now symptom free from the concussion and beginning his regular off-season workouts with no restrictions. He has played 56 career games at first base committing just four errors in 536 total chances for a .993 fielding percentage.
“When I kept gathering information, to be honest with you, it wasn’t really even a decision,” Mauer said, via ESPN. “I kept searching to see if it was going to be OK, if it was going to be safe for me to go back there and catch, and I just wasn’t finding that.”
The concussion that forced Mauer to miss the final month and change of the season occurred in a game against the Mets in mid-August.
Mauer: “I knew there would be a day where I couldn’t catch…it’s frustrating that it had to end sooner than I anticipated.” #Twins
— Aj Mansour (@AjKFAN) November 11, 2013
Mauer: "I think the smartest move for me and for everybody is to be in the lineup…I’m not going to be too timid when I get out there.”
— Aj Mansour (@AjKFAN) November 11, 2013
CBS Sports points out that the move is also a safety measure for the Twins considering Mauer still has five years and $115 million remaining on his contract. Getting the most out of the deal is what’s important to the business.
