My problem is taking on big salaries for players who are: A) Past their prime, B ) Have some sort of checkered injury history, C ) Derive part of their value from playing in a position they could not stay on.
If you wanted to trade half the farm for a guy like Hernandez, Kershaw, Machado (not that it will ever happen), Darvish, Alex Gordon, etc. i'd be all for it.
But Lee and Mauer both have a prohibitive salary and question marks surrounding them that make them a risk that this franchise should not be willing to take.