Minnesota Twins Kurt Suzuki– I’m not trying to be Joe Mauer

With baseball season approaching the Minnesota Twins have a brand new catcher with Kurt Suzuki and the fans are excited to see what he can do behind the plate, and to see if he can be anything like, well Joe Mauer. But Suzuki wants everyone in the twin cities to know one thing: He’s not.

Suzuki will now take Mauer’s catcher position, since Mauer will now be at first base full time. That move left a void behind the plate for Minnesota, and that lead the Twins to give Suzuki a one-year, $2.75 million deal this winter.

September 18, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics catcher

(22) stands in the dugout against the Los Angeles Angels during the 10th inning at O.co Coliseum. The Angels defeated the Athletics 5-4 in 11 innings. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

While Suzuki doesn’t have the hitting numbers that Mauer once had, Suzuki’s averaged .253, but he feels he can fill in for the Twins in 2014.

But don’t compare him to Mauer.

“I’m not trying to be Joe,” Suzuki said this past weekend at TwinsFest. “I feel like I’ve got a lot to offer still in this game. I still feel on top of my game. Obviously the last couple years haven’t gone the way I wanted to, but the way my body feels, I’m in a good spot mentally right now. I’m looking forward to this season.”

The Hawaii native went to Cal State-Fullerton and spent most of his seven major league seasons with two different stints in Oakland, along with parts of the 2012 and 2013 seasons in Washington. He played in just 94 games last year, mostly as a backup for the Nationals, and batted a career low .232 with just five home runs.

But the Twins didn’t necessarily sign Suzuki for his superb batting skills. He is a solid catcher and is a solid game-caller, a good clubhouse presence, and someone who can help transition Minnesota’s starting rotation that includes a pair of free agents in Ricky Nolasco and Phil Hughes.

“It definitely takes a little bit,” Suzuki said of learning a new staff. “With Oakland, we had a quick turnover, and then going to Washington and learning that pitching staff. Some guys it might take a little longer. Some guys it might be fast. You just never know. Having faced a lot of the pitchers, I kind of have an idea of what they like to do. Knowing the hitters in the league, it should be a lot easier and simplify things.”

While the Twins still don’t know how many games Suzuki will catch in 2014, general manager Terry Ryan essentially anointed him the starter this past weekend. The Twins’ backup catcher job will likely be a battle this spring between Josmil Pinto, Chris Herrmann and Eric Fryer.

Pinto appears to be the team’s catcher of the future, but he’s still a bit raw defensively. Despite that, the 24-year-old Pinto impressed fans with his bat as a September call-up last year, hitting .342/.398/.566 with four homers and 12 RBI in 21 major league games.

If Suzuki was brought in to mentor Pinto and help bridge the gap to 2015, the veteran catcher doesn’t see it that way.

“I don’t think anybody goes anywhere, obviously, to sit on the bench. You want to play as many games as you can,” Suzuki said. “The better you play, the more you play. That’s how it has to be, and that’s how you have to believe, because if you don’t think otherwise, you can get complacent. You definitely have to earn your playing time.”

Sep 14, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Oakland Athletics catcher Kurt Suzuki (22) looks back as Texas Rangers left fielder David Murphy (7) reacts to striking out looking to end the baseball game at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The Athletics won 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

Mauer insists his catching days are done. The move to first base was one made to preserve the six-time All-Star’s health; he suffered a season-ending concussion this past August and doesn’t want to risk another one via a foul tip off the mask.

Even though Mauer will never play catcher again, he is more than willing to help Suzuki adapt to the new surroundings and a new pitching staff. And Suzuki will be all ears whenever Mauer has advice.

“I told him, too, ‘I don’t want to step on anybody’s toes but I’m here to win and if I can help, that’s what I’m going to do,'” Mauer said. “He’s here for the same reason, so it’s good. The guys we brought in are good players and they have the right mindset, too.”

Added Suzuki: “I have a lot of respect for Joe. He calls a great game. He’s a premier catcher. To have a guy like that to lean on, on my team now, will be fantastic.”