Trevor Bauer has relied heavily on social media to keep fans aware of his trip through free agency, and the right-hander shared his latest thoughts in a new YouTube video detailing his top priorities in finding a new team. Some of these sentiments have been shared by Bauer in past interviews, though it is certainly worth checking in to see what the offseason’s top free agent is looking for, particularly since the free agent market as a whole has yet to really develop as we approach the middle of January.
To begin with, Bauer says that geography and market size aren’t big factors in his decision-making process. The Los Angeles native seemingly doesn’t mind one way or the other about playing close to home, and as Bauer points out, his online presence allows him to publicize himself and his brand from anywhere in North America, no matter the size of his next team’s media market.
What is important, however, is that team’s willingness to allow Bauer to continue his attempts at growing a brand and being more visible, as well as a willingness to include teammates in those endeavors (if they so choose) as part of his efforts to grow broader interest in baseball. It all ties into Bauer’s desire for “a partnership” with his next team, and a two-way effort by both sides.
In regards to his personal training methods and data-driven approach, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner wants “to be able to be with an organization that values those things, that can give me information that I can learn from and increase my knowledge base and my understanding of the game. But I also want an organization that’s open to some of the things that I’m doing and can learn from me.”
For instance, as it relates to Bauer’s oft-stated desire to pitch every fourth day, he isn’t insistent that his team deploy him in such a fashion, but simply that the team be open to seriously considering the possibility. Naturally, Bauer’s plan will hinge on how his pitching on shorter rest could impact the rest of a rotation — “I don’t want to ever take away from my fellow players’ ability to go out and do their job to the best of their ability,” Bauer said, since the point is to get “everybody performing at a higher level.”
Since Bauer feels he’ll be “as good or better” pitching on three days’ rest, however, he sees this ability as a plus to a pitching staff. Depending on a team’s needs, Bauer pitching more often could help address multiple situations, as he notes that it could help other pitchers who perform better with more rest, or pitchers who are on innings limits.
Particularly coming off an abbreviated 2020 season and questions about how many pitchers will now have to rebuild arm strength for a longer 2021 campaign, Bauer’s argument is certainly persuasive. He also said that the Reds, his former team, were “great about actually having that discussion” about potentially making more frequent starts in 2020, though Bauer ended up pitching only once last season on three days’ rest (delivering one of his best outings of the year).
Aside from mentioning pitching for the Reds, Indians, and Diamondbacks over his career, Bauer didn’t provide any specifics about particular teams who might be candidates to sign him, or any details about his contractual demands, whether they be longer-term or shorter-term deals. He restated that he wants to play for a team that will make an aggressive push to contend every season (“My career is too short to really be part of a rebuilding window. I just don’t want to do that.”) and he wants “to be fairly compensated for my value,” which covers both what he offers a team based on past track record and what he’ll offer going forward in projected future performance.
Broadly, Bauer has a simple overall goal for the next step of his career: “I want to be happy.” While quite probably not a sign that Bauer is exploring a return to Cincinnati or Cleveland, Bauer did say that over “the last couple of years…I’ve enjoyed playing baseball a lot more than I have earlier in my professional career. I don’t want to go back to being miserable playing the game I love.”
He shut up! Lol
Did he though?
The thing I’ve found odd about the Bauer chase is that his agent called on the White Sox by name to take a chance on him (right after the Lindor trade went down).
That just looks like a move of desperation. It probably isn’t in reality, but normally when you have a great deal of interest from teams with your client, there’s no need to recruit more teams.
As for the White Sox, either he has more interest in being on their team than I thought or he and his agent are not on the same page. That or maybe they both are using the Sox as a pawn to drive up the price on the teams he truly wants to play for. Though with the signing of pitching coach and analytics based Katz, maybe the Sox are now on his radar where they might not have been before because of their lack of analytics.
I cannot see Bauer wanting to play for LaRussa. He is pretty antithetical to his analytic desires. I just don’t see the fit.
The Sox also don’t have a history of playing to win championships on a regular basis. They don’t bring in top of the market type players, and they don’t make big in season moves to address weaknesses and put their teams in a position to compete in the post-season. Yes, they have a lot of talent on the roster right now and are in a “window of contention”, but the organization has not historically shown the commitment to winning it all that Bauer seems to want. Of course, enough money could offset that concern, but the Sox don’t seem like a team to spend that kind of money anyway.
@GareBear
If that were the case, why did Tony La Russa approve the hiring of Ethan Katz as his pitching coach? He also added Shelley Duncan to his coaching staff as his analytics coordinator although that might be less surprising with the manager’s long time connection to Dave Duncan who was already a pitching consultant for the White Sox.
Oddvark, they signed a top 3 catcher in baseball last year (Grandal). Locked in an offensive stalwart (Abreu, 2020 MVP). They just signed the best closer on the market (Hendriks). They traded for one of the top 10 pitchers in baseball over the last 3 years (Lynn). Your point about the WSox not having a history of winning championships is moot. That is in the past. With the moves they have made during the rebuild, including, drafting well, trading valuable assets, rebuilding the minor league system, signing international talent (signing #1 Cespedes 15 Jan, signed Robert 2017), and locking in young players long-term, this isn’t the usual modus operandi the WSox are exhibiting. To think that a team can’t change culture is short-sighted. I know that Reinsdorf is still the Owner/Chairman, but he’s in his mid 80’s and he wants to win. After all, you can’t take the money with you. You got to start somewhere.
I am well aware of all of the White Sox recent moves. I am a White Sox fan who was on board with the rebuild, have been following their progress closely over the years, and I am super excited about the team right now.
I was just responding to what Trevor Bauer himself said that he was looking for, which included not only the chance to win now (which I think the White Sox do have) but a history of commitment, not just to fielding a contender/making the playoffs, but to winning it all. I simply don’t think the White Sox have demonstrated that level of commitment historically, or even with the solid moves they have made in recent years. And I don’t know how that history can be moot when Bauer explicitly referred to such history in his most recent statements. While I don’t think that means Bauer would definitively not sign with the White Sox if the offer was right, it is a point against them.
Mets will sign him
2 years $50 mil max
$25m a year for the Cy Young winner? You’re gonna need closer to 2/$70m
he will end up getting a slight raise over the Patrick Corbin 6 year / 140 contract. They are very comparable
$35 million AAV is stupid money for a pitcher
Yep, Bauer/Corbin comp is my fave. I think with the CY and annual raises since Corbin signed this is probably a fair range for Bauer…
6/168 $28m aav
6/192 $32m aav
He’s not quite on the same level as Cole and other $30m+ aav pitchers.
Especially BAUER, Thats too much even for a good pitcher
@DarkSide… he’s no fool. Offering to pitch every 4th day ups his value because he now projects to 40 starts instead of 32. It makes a $30M AAV threshold more viable.
However, I can’t see a team putting one guy on a 4-day cycle with the rest of the rotation on a 5-day cycle. It would be a logistical nightmare.
Anyone could have one the Cy Young in last years short 60 game season. I’m just glad my favorite team is good starting pitching wise. I don’t like his HUGE ego.
What ego man? Y’all are crazy, he’s the only man spending every waking hour of his free time trying to make our old azzz sport appealing and fun to non hardcores. He also has experimented ans pushed the science of pitching more than any modern player, that’s not an understatement.
People hate him because he’s socially awkward sometimes and doesn’t do dumb sports guy interviews.
Baseball should be killing to have 10 Trevor Bauers. It’s just uncomfortable because he’s different and it feels weird. The dude LOVES LOVES LOVES baseball. It’s sad that people buy this wack narrative that he’s a demon or soemthinf.
You know who Bauer could wind up eerily similar to? Let’s go through the info and see if you can guess this SP by the end:
In his earlier age 20-29 seasons his era typically wavered in the 3xx to 4xx ranges.
He’s always eager to take the ball. Excluding 2020, he appeared in less than 31 games only twice (27 & 28 times respectively).
Getting into his personal run prevention, FIP usually pegs him as a 3.xx producer, but had been known to wobble into the 4.xx ranges
Like Bauer, he averages around a 1.3xx WHIP line.
Your final clue, likely a give away:
He won a cy young award at age 27 after going 22-4 over a 223 IP season
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.
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Are you ready for the reveal?
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.
.
.
IT’S RICK PORCELLO!!!!
Now, how much do you all feel Ricky is worth? That’s what you’ve got to remember when evaluating Bauer. Same level of consistency, same hardware except, of course, one guy had to dominate the Yankees and Rays over 220+ IP to get his, not just a mini hot streak in an asterisk season….
@ bkbkbkbk
I couldn’t agree more with your take on Trevor Bauer. He was a great interview when I heard him on a Chicago radio sports station earlier this offseason. He came across as articulate and intelligent, somebody who knows exactly what he wants in a life that is so focused on baseball. Who wouldn’t want this guy on their favorite team?
I hope that Jerry Reinsdorf and Rick Hahn are interested in Bauer. The White Sox have exactly the kind of team he appears most interested in, one with a strong competitive window that is just opening. He would fit in nicely as an additional leader on a team chock full of them. I also believe he would be an excellent fit in a rotation that features similarly competitive TOR’s in Lucas Giolito, Dallas Keuchel and Lance Lynn. New analytically inclined pitching coach Ethan Katz would be a perfect match with Bauer as well.
Mostly, Bauer prioritizes being a partner with his new team. The White Sox have been great at this with so many of their players including Tim Anderson and Jose Abreu. They have also been among the best teams in MLB when it comes to promoting the sport in a community that features many low-income neighborhoods. I believe Bauer would fit in splendidly with the White Sox players, the organization and on the Southside of Chicago.
The White Sox might go 3 year, $105M is my guess. Tops. If I’m Bauer and that is the best offer I’d sign a 1yr and try it again next offseason.
Porcello has only had one year where he got any Cy Young votes… he won the award that year.
I wonder if any other player can say the same thing?
@Aaron Sapoznik
I didn’t think the Sox had a prayer of signing him back when the season ended. But it looks at least possible now, and I think we can thank Katz (and Hahn, for signing Katz) if Bauer pulls a shocker and does sign with the Sox.
As I mentioned above, I thought it was very odd that his agent called on the Sox to take the chance and snag Bauer (after the Lindor trade went down). It makes me wonder if the interest, or more appropriately the willingness to pay his asking price, is there right now. Maybe the Sox can in fact swoop in and steal him away from more likely suitors. I guess we’ll find out in the next few weeks how realistic the Sox chances are at getting him.
I’ve said after the Lynn trade I don’t have a problem with the Sox going with what they have for their rotation unless it’s a TOR. Obviously this fits the bill.
Bauer, Giolito, Keuchel, Lynn, Cease–just think about Cease being a #5 in the rotation, that’s a nice feeling to have going into April. But that’s an enormous if right now, one I still think is very unlikely. But stranger things have happened.
I think Bauer can make 35m AAV if he’s truly willing to take a 1-2 year deal. Agents are very good at getting teams to pay players a premium for the typical twilight years. If Bauer wants 7 years then I wouldn’t touch 35 but if he wants 1-2 then that just might happen. So much less risk. Should be interesting
Love it. I feel the same about the Halos.
He’s not legit worth more than $22.5m/year AAV imo.
Excellent post, @bkbkbkbk.
Check out Porcello spin rate compared to Trevor.
@83sox94win05
Yeah, there seems to be renewed hope among White Sox fans that the organization might circle back to Trevor Bauer after Rick Hahn had suggested the team would spread out its offseason budget following the trade for Lance Lynn and the signing of FA Adam Eaton last month.
I still believe it is far more likely that the front office will acquire a premium closer, hopefully FA Liam Hendriks, and then find their next veteran SP among the second tier of free agents that include a few former TOR’s looking to regain their past glory like ex-Bauer rotation mate Corey Kluber. The White Sox will probably attend Kluber’s showcase this week after also likely being among the 20 teams who witnessed James Paxton’s late last month (yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/james_paxton_had_impre…)..
I also believe the White Sox would like to finish off their winter by bringing in one more significant hitter, likely a designated hitter with some defensive versatility, who can hold the DH role until Andrew Vaughn makes his anticipated MLB debut later this summer. That hitter would most likely be another left-handed bat with some contact and OBP skills who could help balance out a White Sox batting order that still leans right-handed, whiffs too much and doesn’t draw enough walks, perhaps FA Michael Brantley or a trade candidate like Andrew Benintendi. Maybe the White Sox will surprise all of us and just steal 40-year old FA slugger Nelson Cruz away from the division rival Twins with a short term contract.
He still wants 10/$600 MM.
Mets don’t make sense anymore. J.A. Happ type makes sense.
Go get him, Blue Jays!!
Bauer is a stud pitcher. Whoever gets him will be happy.
Is he though? Just saying. He had a stellar short season pitching against the dreadful nl and al central. He had one good year with the Indians. Otherwise he is not a steady player, on and off the field. Good for him for planning his future but there is no way that he won’t be an extreme headache in the clubhouse. Say he comes to the Mets, how can he pretend to be better than Degrom, doing social media events for himself while DeGrom isn’t only better but more professional. Say he goes to the blue jays. You want vlad and the other kids studs to look up to his way of doing things? This goes for all the teams potentially interested in a 1b/2 starter that happens to be the best option in this particular free agency.
@findingnimmo Why would he have to pretend he’s better than deGrom? He wouldn’t. I don’t get that argument. I don’t think the Mets will be signing him, but deGrom being better than him has little relevance IMO. I don’t think he or deGrom would care about that.
I disagree. It may not be Degrom caring but true veterans and players who show a professional attitude toward the sport and not extracurricular activities that I’m sure at times will damage clubhouse relations will not go over well with the team in general. I wouldn’t want anyone on my team proposing to be able to do what Bauer wants to do but if someone did they better be the best. Just my opinion. To say you don’t get the argument is a bit much, it’s pretty obvious. You may not agree but the relevance is there. What he wants will cause trouble, especially in New York. Noah stirs trouble with his social media and it’s nothing like what Bauer is suggesting.
he isnt. take out 2018 and 2020 he sucks. granted recency is on his side, but if you expect 2020 or even 2018 Bauer over the life of the contract you’re going ro screw yourself.
Imagine arguing to discount 1/3 of a players 6 year career to show someone sucks. Smdh.
He also didn’t suck in 2016, 2017, or 2019, so even if you do that, it’s still not a good argument.
You raise a great point about divisional play and stats. As the playoffs proved, the Central’s were 4A ball leagues last season.
13Morgs…you may want to click on his name in this article and look at his stats. Is he a very talented pitcher? Yes. But check his stats. He’s basically had 1 1/3 seasons of exceptional FIP. Unless you think a high 3s to low 4s ERA and FIP is studly.
Then, that just sounds like “lowered (AL) expectations”
While FIP is just one stat, it’s a pretty important statistic for measuring the overall pitcher’s ability at preventing run.
The only years Baier’s non-defense related statistic has been “studly” was 2018 and 2020.
@paddy0875 I’d argue that his stats from 2012-2018 show a steady improvement. He changed leagues in 2019, and was doing fairly well in the AL before moving to CIN. Then we obviously see his best year in the shortened 2020. There’s a lot to like about his stats. I get the argument that a CY Young in 2020 doesn’t mean the same thing as it would in another season. I get the argument that he’s only had 1 or 2 great seasons. To me, this looks like a guy who’s trending up and hasn’t hit his prime. Similar to what the Phillies thought of Zack Wheeler last offseason, you’d be paying for what you believe the pitcher will become. The problem is, Bauer wants record AAV. I don’t believe he’s worth that, but he should be getting paid somewhere.
He is lucky he is the best of this years crop. Comparing him to wheeler is actually kind of a decent comparison. And I didn’t think wheeler deserved what he got either. Being the best of a years crop is why some players get paid what they do. Doesn’t matter if that player isn’t a total true ace like player, he is the best out there so he will get paid like a true ace. He very well may continue to grow and gain success. I just see him as a #2 on several teams.
I didn’t mean to compare him to Wheeler as much as Wheeler getting a big contract based on future performance, not past. I don’t disagree with your points though.
Padres decide to keep surprising people and sign him after extending Tatis
Nah
Padres got everything he needs.
Except money after they extend Tatis… unless they decide to not extend any of their current starting rotation.
they don’t have a need to go over the lux for another SP. at some point you get to diminishing returns.
I predict he will go to who pays him the most. Anything he says about any other criteria is bs. Just like the one year contracts for his entire career.
Bauer: “I want to be happy.”
Some team: “Here’s a LOT of money.”
Bauer: “I’m happy.”
so true
So true.
right on the money
I find it to be wild that the reigning NL Cy Young winner is not only still a free agent nearly halfway through January but how there haven’t been any serious contract negotiations involving him yet. The Angels have always seemed to be the front runners for me and they should make a strong push if they’re serious about contending
I find it wild that despite huge 100+ million dollar contracts that keep failing time and time again fans still think it’s a good idea for their favourite team to sign them.
I’m not an Angel fan. I’ve just viewed them as the most logical fit for Bauer this whole offseason
I don’t know that he will sign anytime soon. He seems like a headache. Especially, reading about him using a substance to increase his spin rate. There is that potential future MLB action against it. Hard to see him have a real market on a competitive established team.
Don’t want him on my team. Watched the YouTube short, dude just screams cancer. Has had 1 stellar season to date and is likely to regress in addition to wacky concepts he will be pressuring his team to adopt. All while asking for top dollar and a lengthy commitment. Easy pass
I agree and how about pitching on the day his manager (the boss) tells him to. Obviously hes not a team player, Hes probably has full size cutouts of himself in his house
Hahahahahaha bro that’s too funny, he does come across as a loner!
Y’all know most of the science he pushed is now being used by a massive part of the league and there is a whole NYT best selling book about and and Kyle Boddy essentially changing how we track pitching?
These wild ideas is a someone good at their job, also trying to make his peers and league better by sharing the methods.
Your take is like what people said when they called paying attention to nutrition in the off-season “fruity.” Aren’t you embarrassed by your inability to understand the game you love?
2017 very good
2018 stellar
2019 w/CLE pre-trade very good
2019 w/CIN meh
2020 obviously stellar
He’s not a one year wonder
Yea he’s a 1-1/2 year wonder out of 9 years
He’s played 6 years and has been above average almost all of them. He also probably should have won the cy young in 2018. Darvish was better this year though.
I like Trevor Bauer but the majority of his career he has pitched like a 4th starter.
Bauer is a lot like his playoff record suggests, nails one game, awful the next, He’s only been able to put it all together for one complete season and has only went over the 200 inning mark once in his career also. Lastly, his second half ERA is an entire run higher than his first half.
I like Bauer, but I wouldn’t break the bank to get him.
2017 wasnt “very good” and his 2019 overall sucked.
White Sox!
The new pitching coach is young (37), progressive, from the LA area and is already establishing a solid rep. Tony LaRussa might be an old school dinosaur, but he seems like he’s going to let his ace pitch deep into games and trust the pitcher.
And how cool would Bauer be with Tim Anderson? If you haven’t seen Bauer’s YouTube about TA taking him deep, it’s really cool.
We’re definitely in win now. Open the checkbook.
We need to start a sign Trevor Bauer campaign for the White Sox. I’ve been touting Liam Hendriks for a while now. Bauer would be the cherry on top of the White Sox sundae, even if he insists on pitching most days of the week!
He sure is enjoying this attention.
After watching his YouTube video, it seems like he’s a YouTuber who pitches. That is likely do to generational difference involving my bias toward the imprudence of sharing everything online. However, I do like his forthright approach.
My prediction is Boston
It’s a bit funny, but I hear more and more complaints about Bauer’s social media presence and him “trolling” fanbases on Twitter…etc. It’s actually had the opposite effect on me; I’m actually becoming a huge fan of Bauer.
He’s obviously a talented pitcher, and I think he’s trending upwards, but the social media thing is unique, and I’m a fan. When I was a kid, I had very little insight into players personalities. We had baseball cards and tv interviews, but not much else. Fans are always 1 Tweet away from Bauer, and that’s pretty cool.
He is for sure a fan of the game so yeah,he’s not a bad guy just don’t know what you will get if a team sign him to a big deal.
From the bit that I have seen, I have liked his “breakdown” videos and the ones where he shares his perspective on baseball issues. And I like that he interacts directly with fans on Twitter and other social media, especially since that can help engage a younger fanbase.
However, the posts/videos where he tries to get fanbases to beg him to sign with their teams come across looking kinda desperate to me, and the insinuation that the fans’ efforts might actually influence his decision (rather than just boosting his own social media footprint) rings false. So I don’t really like those. But if they keep fans active and engaged, that’s a good thing, too, I guess.
I love Bauer because he’s actually helped me, myself, personally. My pitching has gotten way better just from watching some of his “Tips with Trev” videos, and I’ve learned a lot about the game itself from his little 30 minute dinner videos with MLB players. He’s great for the game.
Agree. MLB is seemingly dying with younger fans. We need more players like him, whether you agree with what he says or not, people engage with his content. It’s good for the game so I’m ok with it.
i dont care about what a player does off the field unless it could reflect something pn the field. Bauer though shows some off the field behavior that make me wonder if it could have an impact on his year-to-year consistency.
That makes zero sense what you posted. Just jibberish.
Dark side is the king of living in his feelings.
Bauer has dramatically affected how almost all teams track pitching. He literally couldn’t affect on-field more than he already has.
Now here’s a guy that when he runs hard he goes faster !
Exactly, @vonpurplehayes –
I really didn’t have much of an opinion on him until recently. But there is a certain sect of Yankee fans who simply deplore him.
I’ve still no idea how they jump from some tweety stuff to “he made that poor girl kill herself!”
Really confusing stuff.
Anyway, all the controversy has made me a fan of his.
and every bit of these wants go out the window if a team is will to pay him $35-$40m.
he wouldnt get that even in a good economic climate
The Angels need pitching, but I don’t want them to pay a premium for a FA coming off a career year. Please pass on this one, Artie/Perry.
I want to ask: When somebody signs Bauer for 30 AAV over 5 years, will you see it as a bad deal?
He’ll be an Angel – they will let him pitch on 2 days ready with that rotation
LOL!
How much are teams willing to pay for an 3.90 era pitcher in a poor economic times with no fans in the stands.
3.90 used to be average at best .. now it’s ace stuff
In 2019, the following pitchers had 3.90 or better ERAs:
Mike Fiers (3.90)
Brett Anderson (3.89)
Anthony DeSclafani (3.89)
Anibal Sanchez (3.85)
Julio Teheran (3.81)
Jeff Samardzija (3.52)
In 2018:
Sean Newcomb (3.90)
J.A. Happ (3.65)
Derek Holland (3.57)
Mike Fiers (3.56)
Jhoulys Chacin (3.50)
Mind you, these are just “qualified” starters on Fangraphs.
But if you’re dropping 30+M for a guy whose average season is as good as a season you can get for 5-8M, you’re bound to be disappointed.
Teams handing out these giant contracts is an excellent sign that they aren’t paying attention. Fans are never coming back. Not in person and not on screen. Ratings/viewership is at an all time low. As long as they keep up this “Woke” nonsense and pushing a false narrative fans will never come back.
What giant contracts? That’s why these guys are working the media so hard.
I can see sports losing fans, surprised it hasn’t happened sooner. As people age how many 20s and 30s will take their place? I know the number of kids playing baseball is incredibly low to what it used to be. If they are interested in it as youth, what’s going to make them want to sit down and watch someone else play it for 4 hours.
Maybe you should start watching football instead, you obviously dont like baseball
Football has more of that than baseball does. Probably not a huge surprise, but they’re bleeding viewers as well.
if teams are spending money they clearly expect to recoup it somehwere. i dont know what you are trying to say, but I dont think the average fan leaving the game is repulsed by what you think they are repulsed by.
“Wokeness” has nothing to do with why MLB is losing fans. Very Long season, 3.5-4 hour games 6 days a week, and ridiculous parity between winners and losers (who can root for the O’s right now when they’re not even trying to win even a little) for starters. Get a grip with YOUR false narrative.
Comment as much as you can. When you get from your little field trip to Washington Wednesday, the FBI will already be waiting for you. Stay woke.
#wokeassbro
(Say it fast five times in a row)
I was thinking the same thing, Ducky. Say it three times into the mirror and turn on the lights.
#ReversePsychology
I have a feeling that structurally the deal Bauer signs might be similar to the one that Tomoyuki Sugano signed with the Yomiuri Giants in terms of having opt outs after each season.
If it was my money I wouldn’t sign him ..
If he can give you 36-38 starts instead of 31-33, is it worth paying a premium for that?
It wouldn’t happen because he is paid so much. They would have to protect his arm and their money. Those days are gone forever. Starters will go 31-33 with only aces doing that and the rest eventually getting spread out even more in the future. Bauer will never get his wish of pitching on three days rest unless he signs a one year maybe two year deal.
Unless he goes to Baltimore or Pittsburgh
no one’s straining three other SP just to meet his 4 man rotation demands. teams cant keep 5 SP rotations healthy, how will they be able to do 4?
He’s not demanding a 4-man rotation nor even expecting anyone else to pitch on 3 days rest. Just himself, when feasible, understanding that keeping everyone in a mixed rotation — himself ideally on 3 days rest, others on 4 days, maybe some on 5 days or needing to skip starts — will be a challenge, but one that he doesn’t want dismissed out of hand.
If you think about it longer than five seconds you can figure out how it would work. Again really not that difficult.
@Oddvark. No. Because his 2nd half of the season drop off will just occur sooner. He was awesome last year because there was no second half of the season.
Anyone who down plays his “one good year” (2020) look like idiots especially saying oh he pitched against the crappy central all year. Guess what other awards came out of the “crappy central” AL Cy Young (Bieber) and AL MVP (ABREU) If were gonna crap on Trevor for it being a short season then you should do the same for the rest. Far as anyone complaining about his vlogs/social media that’s a way of growing the sport and game everyone says Trout should do something similar Tatis jr. Acuna Soto etc. So don’t be butt hurt Trevor’s the only one doing it.
kids watch the NFL and NBA because they are more engaged by them, not because of effective accessories like social media. people who like social media that much dont care much about the sports side enough to make a financial impact anyway.
Yuri takes are embarrassing and inaccurate. There are literally a litany of articles and studies showing it.
I love this guy. I hope a team doesn’t overpay for him because I’d like him to be seen in a good light rather than as a bad contract guy.
I watched a video of his two days ago where he also stated random teams he’d consider, and one of them was the Astros. Obviously it’s a joke, but he said it with such a straight face you’d think he was serious lol. He also has a house in Houston that he lives in sometimes, so… it’s not super duper out of the ordinary. Btw, he has talked about the state income tax before. The resolution? Sign with the Rangers.
Lmao.
He said he wants to win as one of the most important. So I’m guessing only Padres and Mets left? Obviously dodgers win I just don’t think they are big on him. I doubt the Mets also get him and I don’t think the Padres do so he might be forced to sign with Giants, Angels, or Bluejays.
I think he signs with the Blue Jays. I want him to sign with the Giants, but I expect, in the back of my mind, that he signs with the BJ’s.
I do too. The need is there and they have the money; Pete Walker is an excellent pitching coach and they were one of the first teams to have the high performance team who I think Bauer will work well with, plus a coach who seems pretty laid back and analytical and a young team that Bauer will come into as a leader.
The team is owned by a sports media company and the country’s biggest telecommunications company with a dozen TV channels who needs faces to sell ad revenue. They were pretty open to letting Stroman do his thing, and Lawrie before that. There’s also a lot of opportunities for sponsorships that will generate extra income for him.
I’ll be honest if it’s not the Jays I’ll be surprised.
yeah, because the Mets and the Padres are the only teams competing when neither is the best team in their respective divisions…
Out of the teams in on him the Padres and Mets have the best chance to do anything…. I thought it was common sense…
Watch him sign with some out of left field team aka not the Mets Padres Dodgers Bluejays Angels Yankees etc
if his price comes down angels will jump right in.
maybe he’ll jump over and join Sugano 😀
Trevor Bauer seems so exhausting. I appreciate him trying to bring new fans into the game with his social media. But it seems like Trevor Bauer is all about himself and his brand. Does he care about winning or just wants to pitch win or lose? What happened to the player that would say I care more about winning the World Series and do whatever it takes to win. Seemed like last year all he cared about was his upcoming free agency, checking social media and anyone who said negative about him he would tweet about it. I wouldn’t be surprised if him or one of his brand members are reading this article and the comments.
What are you taking about. He’s a pitcher, not the GM. The dude dealt the reds into the playoffs this year.
I wonder if he’s really committed to the point he made about not wanting to play on a team that is rebuilding or has that mind set. Teams that tear down and rebuild often would seem to be on the x list then.
Trevor Bauer is now my favorite FA!
I’d be most thrilled if he signed with the White Sox. My consolation prize would be the Angels since I picked them in this sites 2020-21 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions contest.
Going to the giants for 5 years and three opt outs.
I picked Bauer to sign with the Dodgers because:
1) He is from LA and grew up a Dodger fan.
2) He has said “I want to play for the Dodgers.”
3) The Dodgers can afford him.
4) Countering the Padres’ offseason moves with something dramatic would probably drive up fan interest.
So if they don’t sign DJL, I think they’ll snag Bauer. Of course, I could be wrong. I don’t think I’ve been right yet this offseason, such as it is.
Bauer wants to play for anyone who is willing to pay him the most.
I love Bauer’s personality, ever since he was a prospect in Arizona making rap albums. It’s funny the bad rep he got just from that. He is highly intelligent, a hard worker, blunt and openly belligerent.
I do however have serious concerns about his future. He’s only pitched like an Ace for one semi-full season (28 games). His playoff stats read pretty much like his career, great or awful. He wants to get paid like Cole when he should be paid like Darvish (around 22 million with escalators and opt outs). Bare in mind, Bauer has only given his team 200 innings of work once in his career and he is talking about starting every fourth day.
I think he signs with the Dodgers. They have all the analytics, they have the winning team already put together, they need the pitching, they have the money, they like to do the kind of deal that Bauer wants; short in years, high in AAV.
I think it’ll be Dodgers: 4 years/$155M.
He breaks the single season salary record, he breaks the AAV record, but it doesn’t last so long or isn’t so expensive it hobbles the team who’s paying it out.
Jays’ fans can save themselves some grief and tune this out until three of Bauer, Realmuto, Springer, and LeMahieu have signed elsewhere. If there is any truth to the Springer offer @ 115 and ask @175, and similar spreads on other proposals, Shapkins will have no luck with any of them until they have no choice.
Maybe then make an all-or-nothing offer to whoever is left …hoping it’s enough
As much as I thought the Angels would sign him early on in the off season, I’m thinking the Dodgers will ultimately sign him when all is said and done. I believe their focus remains on Turner, I think once Turner is signed they’ll then focus on Bauer and sign him to a 3 yr, $100m Contract. Yes, his and Turner’s contract put them off the luxury tax threshold but they have so much salary coming off the books next year that it could be a one year penalty. As long as it doesn’t refrain them from designing Saeger, Kersh, and Buehler next year them in fine with it. Not sure if Bellinger will be resigned.
Blue Jays are probably unofficially out on Bauer. When talking about building a brand, Rogers won’t want to be part of it. The moment anything goes somewhat wayward, Rogers will want to pull the plug. Can’t stand the rain.
Unfortunate because Bauer is exactly the type of player they need and should be going after. Bauer would also add hundreds of thousands, if not millions, to his brand by playing in Canada. He’s also an upgrade to the rotation, need #1.
Dodgers and yanks are already at 210. Which def says something about a slow offseason when 2 largest markets are already at the soft cap. If Mets sign him- they’ll be over 210. Angels and Padres would be close to 210 if either signs him. Toronto however is sitting at a 100 mill payroll. They could sign Bauer and another big name and still only be at 150/160 mil. I say jays are slow playing market hoping they can make best pitch on a couple of these guys and sway em to Canada aye !?
Bot you make too much sense!
Technically and theoretically the Jays have plenty to sign Bauer without worrying about luxury when the young core reach arbitration. However, I know the way Rogers operates. Any sign of controversy they want to run away from it. If they deem Bauer too controversial, and I believe they do, the Jays could very well be out of the running as we speak. Obviously they would not announce this. This has been the Rogers way for many, many years.
Here me out on this, this is only in my specific experience… Twins had Trevor May on almost every other inning hosting a get to know em type thing of other players on the radio, every game. May, though i never watched, known for his streaming. Bauer wants to expand on something like this it seems.
Goodbye to May, Romo, Clippard, Odo, Marwin, Adrianza… Bring in Bauer, 4 days rest ok. Have Maeda, Berrios, Pineda on 4 to 5 days rest, fill in the rest like they normally do under current mgmt and they are better financial condition, plus I haven’t looked but pretty sure there isn’t a whole lot tied up going forward.
And still have $ for Cruz.
But Twins are cheap. So dumb idea. Also after the inevitable sweep in the playoffs. No longer rooting for the Rays… they can get bent after this offseason. For once, keep it going and win it all…but ultra Cheap.
Then again, I don’t like Bauer much. But at least Kepler could spechen die scheisse about 4 hr in 4 ab as a slump killer to a 30 mil pitcher
He pitched in the weakest hitting division in baseball and he is a head case. Buyer beware because he may be playing up to get this contract and once he gets it you will see a noticeable drop off. Seriously he sounds like Roger Dorn from Major League.
Confirmed
Seat at the table
I thought it was kinda cool and unique to hear his takes on Free Agency, possible destinations, and the market in general. That lasted 10 minutes. That’s all I could take.
I’m wonder how many free agents end up settling for one year deals given how stagnant the market has been.
Could we actually see Realmuto re-sign with the Phillies on a one year pack? Springer re-signing with Astros now that the Jays hold all the cards?
It seems unrealistic given everyone free agent has the cards stacked against them: Springer and DJL age, Realmuto position, Bauer coming off a career year and a Cy Young.
Who’s more annoying.. Bauer or his agent?
You can turn away and ignore them at any time.
I think the Padres will be tapped out after signing Tatis, unless Tatis’s contract is lighter in the beginning. The Padres still need to add a closer and bench upgrades after Tatis. One thing though: If the Padres sign Bauer, they would be the best team in MLB.
Of course it’ll be light in the beginning. He’s projected to make league minimum this year so they give him a lil extra upfront to either secure another year or not have to pay him as much on back. No one gets 15+ mill though when they are only going to make a couple hundred grand
No, the Dodgers will still be better, but the gap is closing.
I think the Padres would be more nasty with Liam Hendriks than Bauer, but that’s just me.
Bauer taking MLB’s nonaction in promoting and marketing it’s players into his own hands, ya love to see it.
So he claims that market size & geography do not make a difference, because he can promote himself on social media from anywhere. Well, if he thinks that the effort (and the end results) in promoting his brand as an Oriole is the same as being a Yankee, he’s got rocks in his head…..And then he does an about-face saying he wants to be on a team that’s in the playoff chase every year. Which screams “Market Size Matters”.
An impressive number of times he uses the word “I” there. Love the narcissism. He’s probably one of these dudes who posts on social media to let people know he just did a curbside pickup at Chipotle .
Casual fan really won’t care. Hardened fans will. But casual fans is the group MLB desperately wants to attract. And younger. He’s done plenty to build his own brand outside of baseball playing in places like Cleveland and Cincy. He really doesn’t need a big market. If he pitches deep into October it won’t matter. People will know who he is.
I don’t know how I feel about this guy to be honest. I’m a Red Sox fan, so I use that as my reference point of view. Is this guy like Schilling or Veritek who both had suit cases full of note books? Who plays Art Howe to his Billy Beane if this is the case?
Has he found a new way to do things like JD Martinez did? And then shared that view with his fellow team mates?
I see some of that in the video.
OR
Or is he Jerry Remy promoting his restaurant every other inning?
It seems clear that baseball is a means to an end. He wants to use baseball to fund his other ventures. Seems like a distracted player to me, not somebody who is 100% focused on baseball.
Either way, Bauer would need to be the ace of the rotation. I know some have mentioned coupling him with the good starting rotations here, but can anyone really believe that other top pitchers are going to allow their pitching rotations to be constantly tossed about or their monetary value put at risk for this guy?
I know the Red Sox reporters seem to be hot on this guy. Personally, I think it would be better if Boston helped the White Sox sign this guy.
Just my opinion
I think the Red Sox is the best fit for him! They been freeing up space and need another super star as well as starting pitcher. Been real surprised at their approach so far to free agency- almost like they are done spending big for a while…..hope not for rivalry standpoint ! But we shall see
If Trevor Bauer wants to pitch every four days, he should look at the history of the Chuck Tanner days when the ChiSox had Wilbur Wood. Those other two pairs of promising pitchers careers were shortened due to the heavy workload. Also, the most used bullpen pitchers also succumbed . Starters Tom Bradley and Stan Bahnsen didn’t last long. Bright young pitchers out of the pen like Bart Johnson and Skip Pitlock were used up. Terry Forster career was was shortened IMO but made a comeback after leaving and I think Goose Gossage would’ve suffered a similar fate had the same had he stayed a ChiSox.
Some pitchers like veteran Jim Kaat actually thrived on the workload. Who knows.
I know a lot of people can’t stand Bauer but I actually think he’s great for the game. He calls out BS when he sees it, he works his butt and brain off to try to improve his game, he wants to grow the game and make the players more well known since MLB is clueless when it comes to marketing, and he’ll show up hitters since they like to show up the pitchers so much. It’s actually kind of refreshing.
“He calls out BS when he sees it”
In my estimation, he’s contributing BS more frequently than he is “calling it out.”
Let’s be honest: Bauer is hungry for attention, and he’s being fed that attention. He’s getting his rocks off seeing fans do poor photoshop edits of him in their team’s uniform. And so he’s feigning a deep level of interest in teams just so he can get attention, Twitter follows, etc. His agent is playing the same game.
It was kind of cute in November, it’s pretty pathetic in January.
I’ll give him this much: he sure is getting a ton of attention for being a middle of the road starting pitcher who was one the biggest benefactors of a shortened season.
So, in a way, it’s impressive. But it’s mostly pathetic and tiring.
Bauer’s relentless “calling out” of guys like Jon Heyman only prove that Bauer is more or less seeking attention.
Heyman’s tweets weren’t “BS” in any way, shape, or form. And Bauer just wanted to seek attention, knowing his “army” of followers would eat up any s**t he’ll throw out there.
Frankly, I think there’ll be some GMs rightly turned off by such mannerisms. He’s doing this now, but how will he handle the media in, say, New York or LA when they criticize him for a bad outing?
He’s an attention-seeking Twitter troll who is getting off on this. Period.
Does this guy even have real followers? I don’t ‘follow’ anyone, so maybe I am not in the best position to comment, but has he ever said anything worth following?
He’s never pitched for the RS, and hopefully never does pitch for the RS, I still find him extremely high-maintenance. Pedro was arguable the best of all-time, and he seldom said anything. Bauer never shuts up.
Doubt Bauer will call a team his daddy.
Who mentioned Heyman? I’m talking about in general. You’re obviously one of the people I was talking about. And I don’t follow Bauer, just appreciate his work ethic and his no punches pulled approach.
“Who mentioned Heyman?”
Bauer did. On multiple occasions, trying to pick a fight and looking really dumb in the process.
The “no punches pulled” is pure nonsense. It’s one thing to admire a guy for being forthright, and it’s another to acknowledge that a guy is just being a childish dweeb.
Typically, the guy being boisterous is doing so to accommodate for clear short-comings. In this case, Bauer knows full well he’s a middle-of-the-road pitcher, so he approached this season trying to win fans and put pressure on teams to sign the “popular guy.”
His approach is so obvious that it’s actually funny that people are falling for it. So, again, good for him. But let’s not pretend this is a guy whose “work ethic” and his “no punches pulled approach” are good, in any way, for his next team, or for the game.
The RS need pitching, but Bauer is the last guy I’d want to pick up, at any price. His level of self-absorption rivals ARod. Just the fact that he keeps harping on ‘expanding his brand’ makes me wonder where is head is at.
And as a fan, why should I care if he expands his brand?
Didn’t Bauer just basically admit to cheating last year to get those absurd spin rates? Is he going to continue to cheat? Bauer and the spin rate tar might be worth 30+ but normal Bauer probably significantly less.
4 yr 100 million & see if you can chuck the rock over the big A!
Pkg Bauer & the Big Maple up in Angel uniforms. Then we saddle Trout up and ride him to the playoffs people!
For those of you saying Bauer has only had one good season, or Bauer has pitched more like a #4 SP than an Ace, just wait to see how ERA’s and FIP’s climb after MLB cracks down on the use of outside agencies used to increase spin rates. Anyone following this subject closely knows Bauer is clean, while very few of his peers in the same class of performance are doing it purely on their own skill level.
“Scott Kliesen” is a unique way of spelling Rachel Luba.
Bauer basically admitted to using something last year on twitter. He’s been ranting how it’s impossible to increase spin rate 300-500 rpm without cheating. His went up 500 rpm last year. He clearly cheated and found the best substance on the market.
That’s all he ever does is discuss it lmao
Good guy, good ball player, but I’m just not sure how many teams are gonna take a risk spending 180M if not more, on a guy who is worried about “promoting his brand”. He is not, in my mind, an ELITE, ACE, or game changing starter. He’s a nice complimentary, for sure. If it comes down to game 7 and I can pick any starter, there is a long list ahead of Bauer. Just saying.
Does he care about his brand? Obviously but is it also a way of growing and introducing a new crowed to the game of baseball? Yes and anyone who says he only cares about his brand no $%!t if you had a “brand” you’d be doing everything you can to promote and profit said brand
Narcissist