I think that it was a no win situation for the Twins. They have to give Mauer the big contract to keep in MN and because right now he is worth it. But because he is a catcher, he won't be worth it in a few years. Hopefully Joe can adapt to a new position because catching takes too much toll on the body.
As for the 10/300 statement, I read on ESPN today that teams were talking 30 mil a year for him while also saying a 10 year contract. I doubt it would have been both 10 year and 30 mil a year, but the two numbers were used.