Report: Mauer on trade waivers; could Sox be interested?

Now that the Red Sox have freed up over 275 million in their recent blockbuster deal with the Dodgers, how long will they stick to their guns and make sure they spend on the right free agents? How long can they stay disciplined with all their new found cash?

FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal asks the question after he reported yesterday that Twins catcher Joe Mauer was placed on waivers.

From Fox Sports:
If the Sox truly intend to be more disciplined, as Ben Cherington suggested after the team sent first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, right-hander Josh Beckett and left fielder Carl Crawford to the Dodgers, lets see where they will draw the line.

Lets see them pass on Mauer, a player who once was their Holy Grail.

Mauer, 29, has about 142.5 million remaining on his contract, including 138 million from 2013 to 18. The Sox are unlikely to take on that much money so soon after busting out of payroll jail, according to a source with knowledge of the clubs thinking. But they should be tempted to claim Mauer before his waivers expire at 1 p.m. ET Wednesday, dont you think?

Mauer has a full no-trade clause in his contract, but he's spent most of his life in the Minnesota area, and they aren't exactly close to becoming a World Series contender.

For a deal to go down, though, as Rosenthal points out, the Red Sox would have to give up some of its best prospects to the Twins, which is what got them in the mess they're in in the first place.