Reds right-hander Trevor Bauer was already the top pitcher on MLBTR’s Free Agent Power Rankings back in February — well before the league shut down for several months, giving way to what felt like interminable negotiations between the league and MLBPA on a way to safely return to play. That was also before other projected top pitchers (e.g. Robbie Ray, Mike Minor) struggled immensely in 2020’s 60-game slate. It was before Marcus Stroman opted out of the season.
It was also before the 29-year-old Bauer absolutely obliterated opposing lineups en route to what is currently an MLB-best 1.71 ERA and a ninth-ranked 2.83 FIP. Bauer has struck out 37.4 percent of the hitters he’s faced this season against just a 6.8 percent walk rate. The resulting 30.6 K-BB% trails only Shane Bieber for the MLB lead. Per Statcast, Bauer ranks in the 96th percentile or better in each of expected batting average against, expected slugging percentage again and expected weighted on-base average. He ranks at the very top of the league in terms of fastball spin rate and expected ERA.
Bauer might not be the clear favorite for the NL Cy Young, thanks largely to sub-2.00 showings from each of Yu Darvish, Max Fried and Corbin Burnes — plus yet another dominant campaign from reigning, two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom. But Bauer is squarely in the mix with at least two remaining starts on the schedule. The performance of all those names down the stretch will prove pivotal in determining who takes home that hardware.
Cy Young or not, Bauer has only furthered his standing as this winter’s most desirable free-agent starter. It’s not particularly close. Take a look through this year’s free-agent class and it’s clear that he is in his own tier.
With that in mind, it’s of particular note that Bauer took some time this week to discuss his forthcoming trip to the open market in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link, with audio). Asked about his priorities in free agency, Bauer replied:
I want to win. I want to be with a team that has a winning culture. I want to be there in the playoffs. I want a chance at a World Series. That’s one thing that really drives me. I want a chance to pitch every fourth day instead of every fifth. That really drives me. Going along with that: how’s the medical staff? How’s the technology — the information that’s available on the coaching staff? What’s the culture of the organization like?
Most top free agents prioritize signing with contending clubs or expected contenders, of course. But Bauer has spoken in the past about his desire to pitch every fourth day instead of every fifth, and that’s a more or less unheard-of concession for teams to make in today’s era of constantly evolving pitcher usage. Pitching every fourth day would be a throwback to rotations of a generation past, at a time when more teams are leaning toward increased rest and limiting trips through the batting order.
The technology component of Bauer’s decision is also a key factor to consider. Bauer himself takes an extremely analytical approach to pitching, so it stands to reason that he’d want a more progressive, data-forward team in that regard. The Reds’ hiring of Driveline head Kyle Boddy, with whom Bauer had already worked in the past, was surely a welcome addition for Bauer. There are still more analytically inclined clubs out there, of course, and Bauer will garner interest from virtually every hopeful contender.
The most notable portion of Bauer’s interview wasn’t the generally expected traits he hoped to see with a new club (or in a return to the Reds), but rather his softening of a long-voiced preference to sign one-year deals. Bauer has previously been vocal about playing out his career in mercenary fashion — only signing one-year arrangements. Doing so would not only give him annual control of where he pitches (thus ensuring regular work with contending teams) but could also increase his earning power.
There’s inherent risk in that approach, of course; a potential injury or decline would leave him without the safety net of a guaranteed multi-year salary. But teams are also much more willing to pay a premium on shorter-term deals — one-year deals in particular.
Just 18 months ago, Bauer again stated his intent to “go year-to-year my entire career.” He added, rhetorically: “Why would you lock yourself in a situation that may not make you happy? I think that’s highly inefficient.”
Now? Bauer makes clear that he’s open to one-year deals but wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a longer-term pact.
Again, I think it comes back to I just want a chance to win every year. I want to be in a situation where I feel valued and I have the chance to conduct my career the way I want to conduct it. So, pitch every fourth day, and stuff like that. I want to challenge myself and have a chance to do those things. So if there’s a situation where it presents itself where it is a four-year or five-year deal, and I feel confident that’s going to be a situation that’s good for me, I would consider it. I do think that in order to do the things that I want to do, I think I’m going to have to take on a little more risk than normal in those long-term contracts. …I’m not afraid of the one-year deals. I’m not afraid of the longer deals. It’s just going to be a case-by-case basis, and we’ll see what the situations look like.
Perhaps those comments were made more as a negotiating tactic that’ll allow Bauer to point back to them over the winter as he seeks to improve one-year offers. Perhaps he’s had a genuine change of heart and is now more open to the idea of a multi-year deal if it’s put forth by the right team. Other factors, such as opt-out clauses, could give him the opportunity to thread the needle and enjoy the best of both worlds. Every year tacked onto the deal and every opt-out clause included, however, figures to come at the expense of the overall annual value of the pact. Ultimately, whether it’s on a one-year deal or a multi-year deal, Bauer should earn the largest annual salary of any free-agent starter this winter.
Rays, may not have the money, but it’s what he’s describing
ajrodz1335 If he’s truly serious about possibly taking a 1 year deal I could see Bauer to Tampa happening. If he pursues the best contract (Both in years and salary) he can get from a contender then probably not.
The Rays are not an option. The shorter the contract, the higher the AAV. If Bauer is truly willing to sign a one year deal, he’ll get at least $40 million for that year. That amount would be about 1/2 the Rays 2020 payroll. You can’t compare Bauer, who has consistently been one of the best pitchers in MLB and is in the prime of his career to Morton, who was at the tail end of his career and had only had a couple of truly dominant years pitching when he signed with the Rays..
The Rays would never let him pitch every 4th day
Idk, seems like a Rays thing to do.
I thought immediately of the Rays being forward enough thinkers to agree to every fourth day. As many pointed out, the Rays haven’t yet spent like that. Perhaps on a one year deal with how good their team is?
They ponyied up for Charlie Morton after 2018.
Bauer will cost a helluva lot more than $15 million/year. Think $30-$35 for a long term deal or $40-$45 million for a one year deal. Rays ain’t paying that.
I could 100% see the rays doing this. Buttttt the Rays are also already pushing a organizational high into next year in terms of payroll it would be their most expensive already and they don’t have Bauer and they don’t have anybody getting cheaper.
If he wins the Cy Young and does take a 1 year deal. Someone will pay him $40M next year. Don’t see the Rays as that team but he would certainly help them
Exactly
Sounds like the Dodgers to me.
From your keyboard to God’s ears, my friend.
Lol i thought the same thing
Sounds like the New York Yankees to me. And I’m a Red Sox fan.
Rays, may not have the money, but they are everything he is describing
funny how those things never tend to matter as much as the $$$ does…
Usually, but not never. And Bauer definitely is a unique player.
Bauer’s reasoning is to maximize earnings every year, figuring a team will pay a market premium. The Rays don’t pay market rates, let alone a premium.
The Rays w money are the Dodgers
^ truth, Andrew Friedman and company
And that’s because Tampa made Friedman who he is.
Go over things Bauer as said in the past and the 2 main ones are 1) Reach FA regardless and the other was Get the most money possible. Tampa isn’t going to pay him, even if Bauer is prone to change his mind on various things week to week.
That 4 day pitching schedule will go flying out the window when offers come in, same with whoever offers the contract he accepts team being a contender.. Regardless of who it is.
Usual suspects here. Look to NYY. Happ and Paxton are gone, same with Gardner saving 35m. Raises due the young core, but maybe some pieces could move. They don’t win it all this year and the grumbling will continue to grow in NY.
Sharing a locker room with Cole?
Go get him Cohen
Mets don’t need him with DeGrom and Thor. Come to the Bronx. Cole, Bauer, Sevy, Garcia and Montgomery looking good
Yankees make pitchers worse not better. The Chaim Bloom pitching laboratory at Fenway would be a suitable fit.
Except that he wants to win. Maybe in a few more years the Red Sox will win it all again, but unlikely in 2021 or ’22.
On a short term deal maybe, but the Sox aren’t likely to contend next season
Long term Boston may not be a good fit for Bauer. We grossly overpaid for David Price and he was never comfortable in Boston
Bauer is a different animal, price was a wuss and the whole city smelled it about two seconds after he signed
He won’t sign with Boston….He said that he wants a chance to pitch in the World Series.
Who exactly has benefited from the Chaim Bloom pitching laboratory at Fenway so far?
Depends on how the Red Sox view the rest of their team. They still have bats, but their pitching is atrocious and there’s no guarantee Sale comes back healthy. Paying Bauer $40-45 million for one year would pretty much eat up all the payroll savings they’ve created this year. Would Bauer put them back in the WS discussion with a healthy Sale – Yes. Will Sale come back healthy though? Signing Bauer seems risky to me under these circumstances and doesn’t seem like a Bloom move to me, but we’ll see.
Thor won’t be healthy until June, their rotation is shot right now. All they have for
Next year is deGrom, Peterson and maybe Lugo if they don’t want him in the pen. Matz is done and needs to go. They need him more than the Yankees need him. Plus you guys just got Cole
Just a reminder, Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer absolutely hate each other from their UCLA days. Highly doubt the Yankees would drop big bucks on another starter this winter anyway, but considering the potential for major distractions in that regard, along with Bauer’s overall penchant for controversy, I would be shocked if he ends up in the Bronx.
True.
Bauer’s personality seems better suited to stay away from the New York/Boston/Philadelphia media markets
Trevor Bauer hates everybody. He’s the most big-feeling jerk in the game. He makes Josh Donaldson look like a Sunday school teacher.
@mlbNyyfan ummm Syndergaard is out for next season due to Tommy John Surgery
You know that Cole and Bauer absolutely hate each other,right?
Mets can’t count at all on Syndergaard for 2021. Right now only DeGrom is a lock. Peterson is very likely and that’s it! We will be lucky to resign Stroman, keep Lugoin rotation and then have Matz battle other minor free agents and in-house options for the last spot. Bauer for one year at $35 million plus a 1-year player option would be a big pickup. I can’t imagine Bauer AND Stroman but it’s nice to dream.
How is Thor a stud pitcher at this time?
He said “winning culture”.
@sretch. Whatever grudge they had seems to be water under the bridge.
google.com/amp/s/www.mlb.com/amp/news/trevor-bauer…
@Rsox. Bauer would be just fine in New York.
Salary cap, that sounds like it’s just on Bauer’s side. While it’s a nice sentiment, I mean, it was just last year that he casually accused Cole of using special foreign substances to increase his spin rate. I highly doubt the Yankees try to put them together. Admittedly, they always need rotation help, but they also prioritize intangibles and character more than most organizations. Don’t think they’ll pull the trigger on this one. I couldn’t care less about Bauer’s perceived antics, for what it’s worth. Just don’t think the yanks agree with me haha.
I find it amazing that so many players turn it up a couple of notches in their free agent year. Bauer is a good pitcher, but this year (his free agent year) is phenomenal. Just think how enjoyable baseball could be again if these guys played all out, all the time, you know, like before free agency.
You mean when players earned a tiny fraction of overall revenues and had no say in where they played? Yeah, great times.
Player’s freedom has led to minimal effort for so many free agents after the big contract is signed. I agree they should have the right to play where they want, just give the best effort every year, not just the free agent year. This is a commonly sad story. I saw a documentary on ESPN where several guys admitted that once players get the guaranteed money, they relax their efforts. People who do that in real life lose their jobs. So as for level of play, yeah, those were great times. They had to earn their money every year.
Fair share? The owners pay more than just player salaries, but the players don’t recognize that. Players only issue is making the team. Low risk compared to what the owners does for the organization, custodians, admins, execs and scouts. There is a whole slew of salary obligation in between. Not a concern to the players who constantly want more for less. Is the 25th man on the roster really worth a half a million to sit on his butt and BS every game? Fair share earned, right.
Señor Manfred, please change the playoff structure, no one likes or.
Jerry, I understand that sentiment, but, I mean, there are innumerable examples of players having their best years well before and well after reaching free agency. There isn’t as much of a correlation between walk years and improved performance as you would think. I have no doubt there are anecdotal examples you could cite, but I think you’re a little off base here.
You think Bauer doesn’t play all out all the time? This is the same guy that threw a ball over the center field wall because he was frustrated with his performance. His having a good season definitely helps him out in terms of a contract, but there’s no way he’s doing well because it’s a contract year. He’s just having a very good season, nothing to do with his contract
Trevor wants to be an Astro so badly…
I find that highly unlikely.
Yeah, a quick look at his Twitter basically rules out any possibility of him wanting to go to Houston
Trevor loves Alex Bregman..
Great joke!
Wait, in Houston he could pitch every 4 days… after all Baker is the manager, he does have a history of ruining pitchers arms.
LOL. Houston is the one city Bauer definitely won’t be signing with.
That eliminates LAA.
Actually LAA would be possibly the best fit. They already planned on letting Otani go every 6 days, so they’re already doing weird stuff with the rotation. They also are a team that can probably shell out a good amount of money on a pitcher.
It’s just missing the winning part.
Problem with signing with the Angels is he’ll need Tommy John surgery before the ink dries on his contract
We need pitching so badly we’d cave to his every demand. I know the staff is anyways working with a facility like the one he uses in the off season.
Angels are already paying Rendon, Pujohls and Trout!
True, but those are about the only guaranteed salaries. They have capacity to add salary if they want.
I could see LAA being a fit. They cleared some salary this past year and they desperately need pitching. Not sure they count as a winning organization though.
2002-2014 they were among the winningest franchises, last 5-6 years not so much, but one or two solid SP additions can change that quickly.
I know the White sox are a young team in need of pitching, though im unsure if they have what they’re looking for.
Sox are loaded with pitching.
No room for Bauer.
Bauer wouldn’t fit in with his attitude.
Sox have so many great young pitchers that they don’t know what to do with them all.
There is always room for another ace.
Sox hung a LOSS on Bauer tonight.
Sox don’t want a losing pitcher.
If next year is anything like this year, Braves would need Bauer to go every other day. You gud, Trev? Our waterfall in CF is a great target.
I hope Atlanta is truly in on him. 35 mil for 1 year is not absurd…even if it was 2 years 70 mil with an out out fir Bauer. Sign him and go win a WS with Bauer, Fried, Soroka, and Anderson.
The Braves should absolutely be in on him. BTW, they could still have Wright or Muller on the staff. Bauer isn’t necessarily saying he wants to be in a 4 man rotation. He wants to pitch every 4th day, which would give the other guys more rest throughout the season.
The SDP will at least make a run at him!
If the Padres got him we would have the best starting 5 in the history of the Padres hands down
Already do
That’s more of a indictment of the past 50 years than a compliment.
Good fit. Richards is a free agent at the end of this year. They have a spot in the rotation waiting fir him, a young core, and the chance to load a team to its first title.
Bauer and Clevinger are BFF’s. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind being on the same club again.
Guaranteed contracts is the culprit. If mlb was like the NFL when they can dump you and the remaining contract anytime the players then would be more motivated. Long term contracts of 7 yrs+ is killing mlb.
So the. You believe should pay way more if a player over performs; right?
The problem with baseball is…players are underpaid while in their prime…and then teams overpay for past performance. It should be based more on performance. Base salary plus incentives for meeting milestones.
Of all the problems facing MLB, the 7 year contract is the least of the problems. Only a handful of the uber rich teams can sign those contracts, and those teams are so friggin rich it’s really not an issue for them. What’s killing baseball above all is the fact that the competitive landscape is so uneven, whether because of tanking teams or teams like the Rays having to compete with the Yankees and Red Sox on a 1/3 of payroll.
Could make the Brewers a deadly rotation with Bauer, Woodruff, Burnes, Houser and Rasmussen or Ashby
Decent three, not deadly tho
He seems forever to be in the shadows of Cole since his UCLA days, so it will be interesting to see if his lack of ability to command similar dollars will affect his decisions. He has burned some bridges with his immaturity in Cleveland and social media antics. Bauer’s analytics are good, yet clubhouse dynamics/mix gets complicated…I see him needing to yield to a shorter contract with incentives or club options to to get close to market analytics. Still one of the best available this year. I will pass…..
Bauer hasn’t accomplished anything close to Cole. He’s shown a lot of great flashes, but has never done what Cole has.
Cole sucks this year and his last year with pirates. Overrated and a byproduct of astros changing pitchers mechanic and possibly cheating. I expect coles deal to look worse in 1/2 years
+1
Are you an idiot? He has a 3 era and sub 1 whip in 66 innings. In what world is that bad?
+1
Bauer might win the Cy Young this year. Cole hasn’t done that.
Bauer is pitching great, but it’s a 60 game CY Young.
Dodgers.
The Dodgers don’t need him. They have a fully homegrown rotation that enables them to spend money elsewhere. They are also homegrown up the middle with Smith, Lux, Seager, and Bellinger. That’s how winners are built.
Twins will have some space in the rotation and money coming off the books next year. A good young roster and a solid bullpen. Only thing missing is a bonafide ace, sorry Maeda you’re real close this year but not quite. Come be that man for the Twins and stick it to Cole in the playoffs, we need to beat the Yankees in a series so bad.
Mets all day long.
Seattle will have the money and need to pay for a frontline starter to help anchor that rotation.
I’d love Bauer to pitch for Seattle, we def have the technology and a coaching staff that is data driven. Driveline Academy is just down the road. I’m not sure Dipoto would be too keen on Bauer pitching every 4 days but who knows? We have money. Trouble is we’d need the present day playoff format to have any chance at playoffs next year. We’re probably not competitive enough for him? 1Bauer 2Marco 3Sheffield 4YK 5Logan Gilbert
Perfect fit for the Mets. They need a starter to fit in behind deGrom and they will have the wealthiest owner in baseball next year, who will be wanting to make a big splash.
The Mets are a long way from being a contender. Cohen’s priority should be fixing the organization from top-to-bottom.
Stroman and Thor away from making playoffs this year smart one.
This guy is toxic. Did anyone else see him berate Votto the other day, the leader of the Reds?
Bauer thinks he’s smarter than everyone and he’s been saying for years he would only do 1 year contracts. That’s a bunch of bull. He’s just working the market. He will take a large and long deal because he’s not dumb enough to think he can stay healthy each and every year.
I predict the Angels will throw a ton of money at him since he’s a So Cal kid and they desperately need pitching. And it won’t turn it good for the Halos.
Bauer is wrong on just about every point as to what would be best for the game’s future. I agree re the Angels, who will continue to get it wrong. Free agency has never been the way to build a winner.
Bauer is passionate, loves the game, is a 6ft average athlete who has willed his own success with outside the box thinking, is quirky and emotional. He’s literally what baseball needs more of.
Also, I haven’t seen it mentioned but given his sucesss is not a function of athleticism, he’s very likely to age well.
Bring him to the angels, we need a shot of outside energy anyway.
Lance Lynn’s success is not a function of his athleticism. Trevor Bauer’s success most certainly IS. Flexibility, explosiveness, functional strength. Trevor Bauer has all of these in spades!
One Bauer is one more than this world can handle
You should read “The Arm”
Some of Bauer’s “quirkiness” involved bullying a teenage girl on the internet. I can do without it. If I want him on my team it’s with a promise to behave and tone down the idiocy.
Big money free agent deals going bust is what we do best.
If Bauer is truly smart, he’ll take 1 year deals until he’s 31 and then sign a 7 year deal.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Blue Jays were an option. Shapiro has already brought him in once and they are in desperate need of starters behind Ryu.
Desperate? They have quite a bit of young pitching talent.
They have Pearson and then a bunch of maybes in Thornton, Kay, and Hatch. SWR and Manoah look promising but I think they are both at least a year or two off.
San Francisco would be a good fit
No to SF. They gave Cain a big contract, a SF treasure, and that turned out poorly. They gave the Shark $90M and he did not earn his salary. Don’t forget Zito, who did end up helping at the end of his contract but was no where near worth his contract.
I’d rather see the Giants go after Robbie Ray or Paxton on reclamation projects. OR, make a trade for Lance Lynn as the Giants have some prospect capital to play with. NOT Luciano but Ramos and some minor pieces, OK.
Shark was never good that’s the problem
Ray and Paxton are never healthy
Let’s be honest, none of us are MLB players. But if you were a Cy Young level pitcher, how cheap (or expensive) of a contract would you command to play for your favorite team? I’d say 5 mil a year for ten years to play for Texas.
Interesting. I’d want enough to feel somewhat fairly compensated but still have a competitive team around me.
Pujols is off the books in a year. Give me 75% of his AAV over 5 years and spend the rest on players.
You guys can talk all you want but…
HE’S COMING TO SAN DIEGO
He is not coming to San Diego. No way. We have no money to spend. He will want $30 million per year. At least. Padres have Clevinger, Lamet, Davies and Paddack for the next year. They have Morejon, Patino and Gore for the #5 spot and for beyond next year. Bauer is NOT happening.
Padres would be 100% unstoppable. That would be the dream team of starting rotations. Already very good!
Somone needs to do a venn diagram of teams with a winning culture in their front office, teams that look like WS contenders now and for the next several years, teams that might let him pitch every 4 days, teams that have a strong, analytical coaching/training staff, and teams that have the payroll flexibility to afford him.
Get yourself into Canada!!!!
Sign with Rockies and pitch every day if he wants to.
“I want to win. I want to be with a team that has a winning culture. I want to be there in the playoffs. I want a chance at a World Series. That’s one thing that really drives me. I want a chance to pitch every fourth day instead of every fifth.”
Until he had all of that and couldn’t just put his f&$#@% toys down and pitch and blew the Tribes chance at winning it all…
Is there any evidence of Bauer being concerned about anything besides his own numbers?
And Gerrit Cole’s numbers, of course.
Maybe I’m a biased fan but over the past few years the Twins have definitely trended towards the team Bauer is talking about. Not to mention he has lots of first hand experience with the team as well after 6 seasons in the AL central.
Reds shock everyone and bring him back on a one and one. If there were that much friction between him and the clubhouse you’d see it present itself pretty plainly. I think Votto and co. would agree that they need to be called out and pushed. Reds make a deep run and he’s back for another round, book it.
Totally agree, Reds could bring back Bauer, if salary is not too crazy, he has settled in well in cincy, and there are better days ahead for Reds after this shortened season, pennant or WS.
1 year 40 million sound crazy enough ?
Winning culture with the Reds? R u serious?
Let’s face it, the money is going to make the difference in the end; it always does. The Cubs would be a great fit for him but they don’t have the money. The Red Sox got under the CBT this year and have money to spend but they gutted their team in the process and they seem to want to keep their payroll under control again in 2021. Philly also stayed below the CBT this year and really needs SP depth to take the next step. He’d fit right in with Harper.
For him to pitch the way he has for the Reds is absolutely amazing as their ballpark is basically a whiffle ball stadium. To have an ERA under 2.00 and limit HRs the way he has is unbelievable. If he likes it there, I could see the Reds going all in to try and keep him but like a lot of the posts above, I believe his final destination will most likely be LAA. They will put together an offer too big to refuse and much like Pujols, Rendon and Ohtani, they’re willing to give him whatever concessions he is looking for in his contract. Sure they don’t have a winning culture (yet) but money talks and the chance to play with Trout and Rendon may be too good to pass up.
Lester is gone after this year, Cubs won’t pick up his $25MM option. Use that money to pay Bauer.
Sorry to remind you, but 1) the Ricketts spent like 500m more than they planned on renovations and the hotel/office complex, 2) want to duck under the threshold, and 3) have decided that frustrations with Heyward’s disappointing early Cubs years and Yu’s injured first year mean that as a general principle they should not trust ANY front office to sign big deals, because analytics just do not offer certainty.
All of that was said before the pandemic and second Great Depression. After next year, Báez, Bryant, Rizzo, and Schwarber will all be free agents, while Contreras will follow a year later. Based on the Ricketts’ previous comments and general economic conditions, the likely question is not how they will improve the team over the next couple years, nor even how they might tread water by keeping their core, but whether they will re-sign ANYONE AT ALL between now and opening day 2022, or do anything more than bring in Gio Gonzalez or Avi Garcia types at ANY point during the first half of the decade. From the sound of it, the Ricketts would be prepared to trade Bryant away for 50 cents and a pack of stale bubblegum, just to save the cash.
So barring a big change, we’d be lucky to re-sign, say, Báez as the franchise player and Rizzo as the clubhouse leader/manager & FO favorite while seeing a decline in rotation spending and little to replace graduating players or restock the pen. The question isn’t about improvement over the next few years, but about how much the decline can be arrested…and about how Marquez, Davis, and Amaya develop.
This year or next year’s team could still go the distance after the hard luck years of 18 and 19. As a baseball fan that’s something to feel good about. But make no mistake, there is no free agency cavalry coming for many, many years.
I said duck under the threshold, but actually it might be more like treat the threshold as an informal, approximate cap.
Welp, my Angels are out of the running. Whomp Whomp
I don’t get it. Trevor Bauer is already talking about free agency and his next team. His team now is is a playoff hunt and has the pitching staff to make a World Series run. Shouldn’t he be more focused on his team and helping them win in the playoffs instead of his selfish free agency?
So- when he’s featured on MLB Radio he’s only allowed to answer questions regarding this year? Is he supposed to ignore questions on his future? Put yourself in his shoes- he’s been working hard for nearly a decade to get to FA, the point in his career where he calls the shots, he makes the decision on where he wants to play, where he wants to live. You can be focused on your job and simultaneously answer a question re your future.
“That’s something we’ll look at after the season’s over. Right now, my focus is on winning a World Series with the Reds.”
Done.
I understand that. But he has been talking about his free agency all year. Recently, when a talk show host talked about the top free agency pitchers this upcoming off-season and forgot to bring up Trevor Bauer. Bauer went all crazy on Twitter calling out the host and such. I’m saying he shouldn’t be focusing on that.
Sometimes..I like to sit here, taking a dump, and telling myself he’s coming back to Cincy..
1 year/$35M seems do-able on many clubs…. Yankees could offer 1 year/$40M or 2 years/$80M to account for the higher taxes in NY, as they have tons of money coming off the books. Even with Gerrit Cole and they need pitching…. that’s my vote. Or Steve Cohen across town makes a big splash in his first off season as owner and offers like 2 years/$90M…. this could get crazy.
San Francisco Giants or Los Angeles Dodgers both seem like a pretty sweet fit.
Trevor Bauer is obnoxious.
Water is wet
Yes, he is in love with himself ands seems to be highly opinionated on everything
Trevor, we have a good group of guys put together. The Padres are going to be good for years to come.
Seems like a fit.
He’s definitely the founder, chairman, and CEO of his own fan club but… he is a pretty dang good pitcher.
Phillies! Would be a great first signing for whoever replaces moron Klentak. Arietta off the books.
Top 3 of Bauer, Nola, Wheeler…… would be a dream come true so not likely lol.
If Bauer pitches every fourth day, how is a pitching coach expected to line up the four other starters on the team who pitch every 5th day?
so… not the angels.
I do not want Bauer on a multi year contract. I saw him on Real Sports, and he struck me as a self centered arrogant ass, who is “Me first” team second.
I really don’t care if Cole & Bauer hate each other. What I care about is the Yankees becoming a dynasty for years to come. I have to respect a pitcher who wants the ball every 4 days and has the stuff to win. What’s there not to like? If signing him for 1 year turns in to a disaster either trade him or don’t re-sign at the end of the year. Bauer is way too good to pass up. Yankees should sign him for 1 year deal, for $30 million, he seems worth it. No reason why he can’t be the best #2 starter in the game.
He’s going to San Diego for one year to pitch with Clevinger. $40 mill. They will win the World Series. He’s from SoCal.
Bauer outpitched by Keuchel and Sox bullPen tonight!!!
Only 5 K’s in 7 innings?!
Could see White Sox and Twins in a little bidding war for him.