There’s been an “uptick” in the level of trade interest in Indians righty Trevor Bauer today, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (subscription required). Rosenthal adds that the Indians are becoming increasingly tempted to make a deal. Joel Sherman of the New York Post, meanwhile, tweets that several executives throughout the league now believe the Indians are more likely to trade Bauer than to keep him.
More interestingly, Rosenthal tweets that the Reds and Indians have had discussions about a potential Bauer swap. Outfield prospect Taylor Trammell has been a part of those topics, Rosenthal notes, although Trammell is in the midst of a down season in Double-A and doesn’t exactly fit the bill of a big-league-ready asset the Reds can plug directly onto the 25-man roster. Cleveland is marketing Bauer more due to looming payroll concerns than because the organization is waving a white flag on the current season, and the common line of thinking has been that they’d need an immediate roster supplement in order to consider parting with Bauer.
Cincinnati’s interest, too, suggests that the club isn’t giving up on its push to end its ongoing rebuild. The Reds added Sonny Gray, Tanner Roark, Alex Wood and Yasiel Puig over the winter in an effort to contend in the NL Central. Those efforts didn’t put the club in contention for a division title, but Gray looks reborn as a quality starter and was extended for three more years. While Roark and Wood are slated to hit free agency (as is Puig), Bauer would give the Reds another option for the 2020 rotation. The trio of Bauer, Gray and Luis Castillo would become on of the more formidable top three in the game and would position Cincinnati well for a 2020 push before even reaching the offseason.
Unsurprisingly, it seems that the recent outburst in which Bauer hurled a ball over the center field fence out of being frustration upon being lifted from a start hasn’t deterred clubs from expressing interest. That incident resulted in a fine for Bauer but not a suspension, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, but there won’t be any additional action from the league. Indians skipper Terry Francona spoke of potentially levying some additional team-issued discipline for Bauer (link via Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com), but that would of course only come into play if Bauer remains with Cleveland beyond tomorrow afternoon’s deadline.
Interest in Bauer has been fairly widespread, with the Padres, Yankees and Astros all linked to the right-hander (in addition to the aforementioned Reds). Houston has had “recent” talks about Bauer, tweets MLB.com’s Jon Morosi, though it’s not clear whether that’s indicative of talks earlier today or simply confirmation of the prior talks that have been reported upon in recent weeks.
Have spoken to multiple execs who say the believe it is now much more likely than not that #Indians trade Bauer
Is it a 50/50 chance he gets traded like Mike Leake though?
Jordan Zimmermann to the yankees.
I think a trade of Winker, puig, Roark, and India should get it done
If the Indians trade Bauer their season is over so rentals Puig and Roark have no value to them.
If henry rowengartner was allowed to throw the ball from the stands to home plate trevor bauer shouldnt be fined for throwing the ball from the mound and over the centerfield fence.
Wonder how many outfielders feel shamed by the strength of Bauer’s arm compared to theirs? I would think only that kid in Oakland and Puig wouldn’t be.
Have you seen his pregame warmup? Foul pole to foul pole long toss is nothing.
Yes, I’ve had that pleasure before. The way he starts out at short distances and eventually ends up there, watching his arm strength is fun.
Uh pitchers usually have much better arms, which is why they’re on the mound instead of anywhere else
Why would they? Pitchers largely ignore the other four skills to focus on just the one these days, outfielders don’t have that option.
@thebighurt619
Bauer is a smart guy, I wonder if he threw that ball to either urge the Indians to make a trade or to make it less likely to be traded?
I had the same thought. But I think though he has some brains, he’s still a butthead.
Nah, the dude is always losing his temper and saying stupid sht to people on twitter. Throwing the ball away is just another example of his immaturity
It seems to me that Puig and a minor leaguer or two from the Reds for Bauer would be a fair deal.
Probably have to include Amir Garrett and the two minor leaguers need to be top 5 prospects.
Puig and a minor leaguer or two? Well, that’s extremely vague because Bauer’s value is about 10x that of Puig’s at the moment.
That would be two very highly ranked prospects.
I would say Roark, Puig and a good minor league prospect..Roark replaces him in the rotation, Puig is a good bat…plus they are both rentals
Like I said, Puig and a couple of minor leaguers.
Would make a good bit of sense if the Reds trade Puig, Roark, and Trammell for Bauer. Reds get a top end pitcher for 2 pending free agents and only one prospect. Indians get a top 30 prospect, an outfield bat that they need bad and a somewhat decent replacement pitcher. Then Puig and Roark are off the books next year. Reds might need to eat some salary and throw in a low lotto ticket, but that trade doesn’t look terrible for either side.
That’s the closest thing to a realistic trade proposal I think I’ve ever seen on this site.
It doesn’t really make sense from the Reds side though. They aren’t going to want to subtract from the rotation or the starting lineup to add Bauer, if this is an all-in season then you add Bauer to the existing mix.
I don’t think the Reds are looking to make a run this year. They have 7 or 8 teams ahead of them in the wild card hunt. I think it’s more for 2020.
Bauer is on a one year deal, he’s a rental. How does this trade help them for 2020?
I just realized he’s got one more arb year left, I thought this was his last arb year now. Still think it’s not a smart move by the Reds, but now I see where you guys are coming from.
@stanleerhemanly
Bauer isn’t a free agent until after the 2020 season,
I think people are not looking at the Future, Would not be shocked to see them lock up Roark and depending on Woods if he keeps pitching beyond this year, Add Bauer then you got one of the top Pitching Rotations around for a few years. But it depends on how they perform the rest of the year and if they want to come back.
I’d probably want a little more future value on the Indians’ side…but honestly, that’s not bad at all.
Stan lee, the Reds aren’t all in this year. They are all in the next 2-3 years.
I don’t see the reds getting rid of Roark, They love Inning Eaters, Reason we kept Bronson Arroyo around forever, Trammell is work gettinb Bauer, and probably be a couple of lower level prospects since Indians want to rid themselves of the Contract. If the Reds keep Puig, They can tie him up with a QO at the end of the season so they get the extra draft pick. I don’t see them sending anyone other Lower prospects and Trammell.
Why would the Reds give up their top prospect for 1 year of Bauer? Maybe if there was an extension talks prior to the trade, like they did with Sonny Gray.
Getting Roark and Trammell together make it look like they’re not waving the white flag while essentially waving the white flag….They just might do it.
Trammel presently has a OPS = .688 in AA.
Teams think the Indians made Bauer a ‘blue light special’ after Sunday.
I can’t see a fly ball guy like Bauer profiling well in the ballparks in that division, let alone GABP…but maybe I’m overthinking it.
I thought he was showing up Mercado in center for losing that ball in the sun by throwing it out to center. None of the media is saying that
Based on his reaction in the video, so did Mercado.
Reaction in the video? Mercado has his back to it all and didn’t even pay attention.
He turned around when it hit the batter’s eye.
No. 3: He never saw it
Rookie center fielder Oscar Mercado was asked if he ever saw the ball that Trevor Bauer threw over his head in the fifth inning Sunday at Kansas City. Mercado had his back to the mound as Bauer’s throw cleared the center field fence. “I never saw it,” he said. “I just heard the crowd.
Huh. Looked to me like he saw it bounce off that wall out in center and turned around in shock. I stand corrected.
Did he have his sunglasses on or in his hat as players often do when they drop a ball in the sun?
Still do not see them trading Bauer.
Cincy has some bats that Cle needs, as does Milwaukee if the rumors of dangling Moose or Grandal for pitching are accurate, but the thought of Bauer is either GABP or Miller Park would scare me if I were either of those teams. Not a high enough GB% for either of those parks.
I think trading Bauer would be a brilliant move that would extend the Indians’ window of contention.
I can’t imagine Trammell being enough to headline a deal for Bauer, surely they ask for another high upside near MLB ready bat, plus a lower level arm at least as well as Trammell.
The Braves should send Camargo, Bryce Wilson, and one other 10-20 organizational prospect and see What the Indians say especially if the Indians are tired of Bauer.
The Braves need Camargo at short while Swanson is out, and that’s not enough value for the Indians to pull the trigger anyhow.
Culberson can play short. I heard Dansby will be back this weekend
It’s not enough. This isn’t a case of selling low on a guy they don’t like.
As a Tribe fan I’d support a trade of Bauer to CIN as long as the return is Trammel, Garrett, or Hunter Greene PLUS Roark who would give CLE an immediate and viable SP to replace Bauer for the stretch drive. I imagine the Tribe’s hangup on a deal like that would be Roark’s remaining 2019 salary.
As a Reds fan I’d say no way. 1 year of Bauer for our top 2 prospects???
More like a year and a half of Bauer for ONE of your three best prospects and a starter who’s about to walk anyway.
What is it with these National League teams who aren’t going anywhere anytime soon trading for what we be considered a luxury pieces? Reds are not competing in the central with Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Louis.
Because trying to win>not trying to win. You can stockpile high picks but that’s no guarantee. Reds have a decent core of position players, really good 1-2 SP, and a crap ton of money to spend for 2020.
The Reds already are competing in the Central. They’re only 5.and 1/2 GB of the Brewers and 6 and 1/2 GB of the Cubs and Cards. That’s after a 1-8 start to the season. None of these teams are running away from the others.
Add Bauer, and the Reds, as mentioned, have a top of the rotation of Castillo, Bauer, and Gray. No one else in the division comes close to that.
Why trade your #2 in the middle of a winning season?
To get longer term cost controlled players to stay competitive longer. They won’t spend big $, so they have to walk this tightrope.
I would be willing to Amir Garrett. Raisel Iglesias but not Amir Garrett.
Bauer for Moustakas. Pitcher for the Crew and 2B for the Tribe
Pitching is in high demand right now. Pitcher with control vs 2B rental doesn’t seem to be enough. Milwaukee would have to add a couple throw ins, but decent start of a convo. Bit then again I also would have thought the Jay’s would have gotten a much better package for Stroman….
Are the Mets and Reds in a different league?
Do they get in the playoffs for having the 8th best record or something?
Something must be going on since neither has a chance this year.
Reds are looking to contend for next year by building talent now. I like it a lot because if this is a trend, we’ll see rebuilding cycles shorten massively and more teams contend at a time. As for the Mets, they were trying to corner the SP market. Increasing demand by decreasing supply.
None of you must be Reds fans proposing the deals I’ve seen. The Reds aren’t even going to be in contention this season. Why would the Reds give up their top minor league prospect while they’re still rebuildin and their top bullpen arm that’s controllable for 4 years. Garrett’s asking price isn’t quite Felipe Vazquez of the Pirates but their numbers are similar this year.
The Reds inquired, as they have with just about every possible trade any teams been involved in. They’ve been heavily involved in trades. Bauer has no future with the Indians, but his future is less likely with the Reds than them if they have to give up Taylor Trammell to get him, much less Amir Garrett. He’s got one last year of control than he’s gone.
With his intent to sign only one year deals, what team is going to give up a draft pick to sign him? So he isn’t even worth bringing on the team to give him a qualifying offer. His asking value is so much less than it could be because of who he is. He’s labeled himself a rental player for life.
Bauer is worth giving up a draft pick if you’re a team in contention. I guess what I’m saying is, it doesn’t make sense for the Reds to essentially lose a prospect to regain a prospect in a few years. They’re not going to win this year or next season either. It would be a waste of money and resources.
Puig, Roarke and Mahle to the Reds for Bauer and a top 15 bat…
Indians don’t want rentals. Mahle is hurt and not nearly good enough to be the only long term piece.
Puig, Roarke, and Mahle are already with the Reds. You said “to the Reds.” Careful!
Reds won’t give up Trammell for Bauer
This is funny…
Uhhhh They kinda did
Cincinnati Reds looking to make a playoff push. Great move if they can land Bauer.
There is no way the Reds will deal Trammell for Bauer alone, much less additional prospects or even rentals. This is either sloppy journalism on Rosenthal’s part or there’s much more involved than Bauer.
I remember Brewer fans saying they would never trade Lewis Brinson for Yelich, Cubs fans angry about Billy McKinney going, and the Rangers deemed Jurickson Profar “untouchable” for a couple seasons. Don’t get me wrong, Trammell would be a big ask on a guy with only 1 arb year left, but there’s also such thing as over-vauling your own prospects. Til they show they can do something at the MLB level they are still just prospects for a reason.
Do you remember how many years Yelich was already signed for when that trade occurred? Signed through 21′ with an option for 22′, all at a bargain price. There is no parallel between the 2. The Brewers traded for not only a budding young player but also traded for that contract which was a steal. No comparison
They also added 2 other pretty decent prospects. Again, I’m not saying it would be a wise move necessarily, but declaring they would never do it when pitching is so in demand is also a little shortsighted.
My point is there is much more involved if Trammell is being moved.
Yep, Tramell may be a Hamilton.
Don’t see it as sloppy at all. The Reds apparently inquired about Bauer. The Indians asked for Trammell in return. All he said was the Trammell was mentioned in those discussions.
Trammell or Garrett both are overpays. Particularly Garrett (who’s controlled thru 2023): there’s no way they’re parting with him for one year of Bauer.
Puig, a starter not named Castillo or Gray, and a meh prospect is more reasonable.
That’s why I said “OR”. And there is much more involved
Looks like you were wrong
Somebody just make a trade. Anyone.
Remember:
Team executives are paid to make trades only if they are convinced that a proposed deal will help their ballclub, and only if it’s the best possible deal compared to other options.
The only exceptions seem to be if owners command the executives to reduce payroll or take a potentially foolish and perhaps desperate risk to win now or never.
I can’t believe the Reds and Indians are beating this dead horse. We heard about it all off season. These 2 teams simply don’t lineup up well for a trade, or it would have happened this last winter.
Or…the two teams are so very, very, very close to a deal and have been for months.
I agree with that! They were close, but clearly had an issue they couldn’t overcome. That is why I said “beating a dead horse”. If the issue wasn’t a major one it would have happened in the winter.
Apparently, no team in MLB lines up well with the Indians or it would’ve happened over the winter, using your reasoning.
But the Reds or another team could still reach a deal with the Tribe before the deadline. We don’t know just how close they might be. We don’t know how competitive offers might be from multiple teams. And all of this gets stacked up against the option of NOT making a deal. It’s a cliche, but team executives know that sometimes, the best deals are the ones you don’t make.
Looks like the Padres have the missing piece. Looking forward to seeing the specifics
The Reds and Indians were in serious and prolonged talks over the winter. That was not the case for all MLB teams, so my reasoning only pertains to these 2 organizations
wow. the possibility of the eccentric trio of votto, puig and Bauer would make for an interesting season to say the least.
If controllable players on reasonable coin MLB ready is the desire I’d be thinking talk to the Cards. Bauer for the 2 Martinezes.
He gone!
mlbtraderumors.com/2019/07/reds-to-acquire-trevor-…
Well if nothing else Bauer will be the only person to hit that Toyota sign and win the Tundra with cob webs all over it..
I think Terry Francona is tired of babysitting Trevor Bauer. Now he’s got Puig to deal with.
This reminds me of when the Rangers acquired Cole Hamels a few years back when they were like 8 games back. They were pretty much written off and it was assumed that they were getting him for future seasons. They ended up winning the division title that season. 6.5 games is really not that much in 2 months to make up. I’m not saying they will do it, but I am saying I respect them for continuing to try.