Pssst: That was Minnesota Twins general manager Bill Smith and Baltimore-based Ron Shapiro, who represents American League most valuable player Joe Mauer of the Twins, spotted Tuesday at a restaurant at the downtown Minneapolis Westin Hotel.

Though there has been substantial buzz this week that the Twins hoped to announce a new contract for Mauer at the team’s TwinsFest this weekend, that’s not going to happen.

A little birdie says there have been only preliminary talks for a new deal for the three-time batting champion, who can become a free agent after the coming season.

When talks get serious, they are expected to center on an eight-year, $200 million contract for Mauer, 26, an all-star and Gold Glove catcher.

Industry experts now say a contract for Mauer, on the open market and with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in a bidding battle, could be worth nearly $30 million a season.

Mauer, who is signed for $12.5 million this season, was in New York last weekend to receive a couple of awards for his 2009 MVP season.

At a $250 per plate dinner Saturday, Mauer received a different player of the year award that was presented by New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi and attended by the Yankees players Alex Rodriguez and Mariano Rivera.

Mauer’s MVP award was presented by teammate Joe Nathan, who also received a relief pitcher award.

At the dinner at the Hilton, one speaker jokingly announced that airports in New

York would be shut down through 2015, thus prohibiting Mauer from returning to Minnesota and forcing him to sign with the Yankees.
As many as 3,500 spectators could show up at Cretin-Derham Hall’s fieldhouse at 7 tonight for ESPN’s taping of a hometown hero show on Mauer. The two-hour show, to be hosted by writer Rick Reilly, is expected to air in April. ESPN sent in four dozen employees to set it up.

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