BREAKING: Twins Joe Mauer to Move to First Base

Mauer’s position change comes after doctor consultations.

Mauer will no longer need these tools. (Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports)

See the image above? Joe Mauer will no longer be donning the “tools of ignorance”.

This might not be the resounding news you expect from the GM meetings, but it is big news…

MLB.com reports that Joe Mauer will move from behind the plate to first base. The article notes that after consulting with doctors from the Mayo Clinic and team doctors, the move is to be made based on “the inherent risks of future injury at the catcher position”.

Mauer suffered a concussion on August 19 and was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list the following day. He is currently working out and is symptom-free, and the workouts are with no restrictions. The move is obviously made for the benefit of both Mauer and the Twins. Keeping Mauer’s bat in the lineup and maintaining his health are high priority.

With the move, it would appear that Josmil Pinto could be behind the plate for the Twins come Opening Day 2014. In only 76 plate appearances, Pinto produced a triple slash of .342/.398/.566 with 4 HR and 12 RBI. He also posted a CS% of 45% (5-for-11).

You could also logically assume that the Twins could make a trade or even delve into the free agent market to find Mauer’s catching replacement.

UPDATE: 2:23 PM ET Twins GM Terry Ryan and Mauer held a presser. Some quotes and insights from Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com…