5:23pm: New York is “believed to” have made a three-year offer worth around $100MM to Bauer, tweets Heyman, who adds there’s “likely” an opt-out clause after the first season. Ed Coleman of WFAN previously reported a three-year, $90MM-plus offer with an opt-out.
4:31pm: The Mets are the current favorites in this race, Jon Morosi of MLB.com hears.
3:16pm: Agent Rachel Luba suggested on Twitter that Bauer is down to two teams, though she didn’t name the clubs.
3:05pm: MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand tweets that the Dodgers are still in the mix and that the Bauer bidding could come down to those two clubs.
2:56pm: The Mets are currently “in talks” with free-agent righty Trevor Bauer, tweets Fansided’s Robert Murray. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman adds that the team expects to hear something more definitive from Bauer’s camp within the next 24 hours or so.
The Mets, under new owner Steve Cohen, have been the most oft-connected team to Bauer over the past month. While other clubs have made sense as on-paper fits and been connected to him more loosely, the Mets have repeatedly been portrayed as one of his likeliest landing spots. Adding Bauer on a contract of any length would very likely send the Mets soaring past the $210MM luxury tax line — barring a trade to free up some space. The Mets currently project to have about $183.5MM in luxury obligations, and Bauer is widely expected to command more than that $26.5MM gap in terms of annual salary.
Adding Bauer would also give the Mets one of the more imposing rotations in the Majors. He’d join two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom, right-handers Carlos Carrasco and Marcus Stroman, and impressive young David Peterson, who turned in a strong rookie effort in 2020. Noah Syndergaard, meanwhile, would be expected to rejoin the fray midseason once he has completed his rehab from 2020 Tommy John surgery.
The Dodgers have been mentioned at times as a potential entrant into the bidding — likely on a short-term deal with a high annual value. The club has made that type of offer to various high-end free agents in recent offseasons — most notably offering Bryce Harper a reported four-year deal in the $180MM range — and could again see appeal in paying a super-premium annual rate to limit the length of their commitment to Bauer.
With Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, David Price, Julio Urias, Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin all on board already, Bauer would be something of a luxury item for president of baseball ops Andrew Friedman and his staff. That said, the appeal of a Buehler/Kershaw/Bauer top three is enticing, to say the least.
While the Dodgers and Mets might be the two likeliest destinations for Bauer at present, SNY’s Andy Martino tweets that others could yet enter the mix with enticing two- or three-year offers at a high annual rate. That said, he adds that things between the Mets and Bauer are “quite serious” at the moment.
Classic Heyman, drum up the market with no real takes
Andy Martino just reported that something might be going on with talks as well.
Martino and Heyman suck as writers. Bad reporting.
All Heyman does is paraphrase other people’s tweets, but makes them sound worse.
He’s a Boras mouthpiece but Bauer isn’t a Boras client.
This comment raises a question. Who passes along this inside information on contract negotiations to sports reporters? The teams? The players? Their agents? And why do they do it? Nobody ever seems to wonder, which is strange when maybe we really need to “consider the source.” And maybe it isn’t so important to blame any of this on the sports reporters since obviously they are only passing along what someone in baseball believes it’s in their own interests for the public to know.
Heyman tweets a disproportionate amount of things about Boras clients. He often tweets out the “mystery team” thing when negotiations seem to stall.
He clearly has an in with Boras and is used as a tool by him.
Heyman tweeted that the dodgers had an advantage due to LA being his hometown.
Bauer currently resides outside of Houston.
He is from N. Hollywood. When someone talks about their hometown i always think they are talking about where they grew up and not where they currently reside.
But what do I know? I was born in a K-Mart
Qanon
Is dumb
I’d say 80%+ come from agent or agent camps
The remainder are the leaks the dodgers have done with Turner, IE- team+player seem destined for each other, but rumor leaks team is looking at alternatives (DJLM) to try to get the other players camp to be more reasonable in demands
It’s both ways, but high majority is agent side
I suspect you are right, but that still leaves the question of why they do it. I honestly don’t understand why we even know how much the players are paid. Nothing else about the private business of baseball is made public, so why that?
Because in all walks of life, people like to count money. Their own, other people’s and whatever. In the context of MLB and other sports, it’s a very useful marketing tool to keep the masses engaged even more.
I don’t buy that reasoning for a split second. If this was true MLB would also be telling us all about how much the owners make, and that’s a deep dark secret.
Nobody cares about owners at the end of the day. People are much more interested in what Lebron James or Leo Messi or Taylor Swift make than what Bob Castellini (who?) or Charlie Monfort (who?) makes.
The players care. A lot. And you must have missed all the business about how much money MLB claims they lost in the pandemic and how much of it the players should shoulder. Perhaps you’ve also missed all the comments about players being “overpaid” in like every discussion here. This is why everybody knows player salaries down to the dollar and not even the players know how much the owners take from the game. It makes the players look “greedy” and the owners look like maybe they are running a hobby or a charity.
MLB channel just reported the same thing.
FML
Odorizzi2anaheim sounds likelier.
Probably a better investment… and less of a headache too.
NothingtoAnahiem is what’s actually gonna happen
The Mets would be better off with Odorizzi. They need cap room for Thor, Lindor and Conforto. Familia and Betances will be gone but Cano returns. Bauer is a very bad move.
The Mets can afford it since there’s no actual cap and even with the lux tax, the penalties aren’t significant until a team is $20M+ and especially $40M+ over. Mets can operate above the tax if they so choose. Lindor and Conforto won’t command too much of a premium on their existing salaries on long-term deals and Thor is such a question mark it’s really not worth considering.
You also have no idea if the Mets offer is simply something like 1-$50M.
Ordorizzi will be a cardinal.
Want to go halfsies on a burial plot?
Haven’t they been “in talks” for at least the last six weeks?
I wonder what they are talking about.
Bonnie Raitt.
I was going to guess Betty White.
Cambio…. Don’t know your blues, eh?
gamestop
This just in: 420.69% of Bauer’s salary to be paid in GameStop shares. He likes the stock.
Arguably the 3rd best pitcher , 4th after Noah in that rotation. That staff would be damn good
Arguably the best (CY Young, short season, okay it’s a stretch), likely the 2nd best pitcher in that rotation. The question marks around Noah are why the Mets are considering Bauer in the first place.
Only off 2020 statistics.
2nd best, and only that because he’s on the same staff as the best pitcher in baseball.
2020 just doesn’t do it for me in projecting value.
If the human cigarette Heyman reports it then do the opposite. I don’t know how this clown keeps his job with all his inaccurate reporting over the years. This guy is all about seeing his name in print as being the first one to report a major story. Ask Hazel Mae how jumping the gun on the Blue Jays signing Michael Brantley worked out for her.
The hate in this comment was the highlight of my day.
“Human Cigarette” is incredible.
Do you mean nadir?
For entertaining, grumpy(yet funny) opinions…Lewis Black is the king.
Stop criticizing. You don’t like their reporting, stop reading.
Heymans mom coming with burnerrrrrrr
LOVE THIS LEAGUE
@looiebelongsinthehall if you don’t like his comment, stop reading. And of course you have a weird asf username.
Love it, bro your the best!
Does he smoke cigs?
I think he vapes.
The Blue Jays and Angels should be in on Bauer. Both those teams have a clear need for an ace. I’m not so sure why the Mets and Dodgers want him so bad. They don’t need him.
I highly doubt the Dodgers want him”so bad.” They are often mentioned regarding free agents only to have it later reported that they were never really involved in any serious discussions. I think it’s more likely that they make one or two calls just to feel out the situation then they are floated around in rumors as a marketing ploy to potentially drive up interest and price for a given player, if not just to give the media something to report.
I’d agree that teams do this to prevent their fan base from getting too upset on losing out on a potential free agent signing. They want to know that their team tried their best in acquiring Player X. In the past, the Dodgers did this without really providing a competitive offer for players like Harper. They may not have really wanted Harper that much but maybe their fan base did. Supposedly they were much closer in landing Cole, but do we really know that? That said, I think the Dodgers need Bauer more than most Dodgers would like to admit. Their rotation is not deep and stacked despite what gets posted here and written up by baseball writers. I think a lot of question marks, and this could potentially blow up on the Dodgers in 2021.
The rotation the Dodgers currently have for ’21 is pretty formidable. Would Bauer be a good addition? Probably, but he could “potentially blow up” just like anyone else. Do I think it a wise move for the Dodgers? No. At some point money has to be considered, and the Dodgers will need to have room to sign Seager, and ink Buehler to an extension. Those two are more important than Bauer in my estimation.
Dodgers have among the most depth of any team when it comes to pitching. Yes it could blow up, but I wouldn’t expect it to. There’s always players available if it does blow up, that can be acquired then.
They had the best pitching in baseball last year and they are all back. Plus they added Price and kids have a years worth experience.
Agreed Dan, I think the Jays make the most sense, so that won’t happen. Haha…. They’re the only team that won’t take the huge tax hit and the need. Long story short.
Personally I would rather see Walker and Paxton than just Bauer. Although they are afraid to block the younger pitchers so maybe they will only do one.
What exactly is the huge tax hit you’re referencing. Any team who is less than $20M over the lux tax only pays a max of 50% on the overage (and that’s after 3 consecutive years of being over).
If the Mets, for example, signed Bauer and it put them over the lux tax by $10M they would only owe $2M in tax penalties the first year. What team would let an additional $2M stop them from signing a potential ace?
@avejoe
In reality, most.
Considering the jays payroll can only go up up up as the kids get new contracts in the next 3-5 years ya it’s a big deal if they blow past the luxury tax this season.
@stymeedone they only get away with it by having fans convinced the penalties at the lowest level are worse than they actually are
Dan55 you know why so the dodgers can own the division for the next several years. Dodgers with bauer make dodgers the favorites for the next 2/3 years at least
Mickey Calloway may no longer be stopping a Bauer to the Angels move. The Angels do need a pitching coach, and Bauer is a know it all so Bauer to the Angels as the first active pitcher/pitching coach in history. I’d love to see those mound visits.
Dodgers and Mets may not want Bauer, maybe fake news
Bauer isn’t good enough for the Angels believe it or not. The fact that he can’t post good numbers for back to back seasons is not good, therefore the Giants and Angels need to stay away. Also, this is supposed to be his down year, since he had a good year last year
Yeah why go for Bauer when you can trade for Alex Cobb?
I think he makes sense on the Mets but both these teams should just hard ball him – Dodgers MAX 2 yrs , preferably 1 or
Mets max 3 yrs preferably 2
If a mystery team wants to go 4+ have at it…..you can only worry about your own lawn, if the neighbor wants the sit down mower you get a nice new cheap fresh coat of paint on the house instead- If their willing to spend 30 more mill this season they can clean up here soon on the market and still be under the CBT easily
Mets need him to be clear favorites over the Braves. As such, without expanded playoffs, they have to hope for a very unlikely meltdown from either the Padres or Dodgers to have a great chance at the WC. Dodgers definitely don’t need him, but he’d make them prohibitive favorites to win it all again.
I wish he’d sign with somebody so that his name drops out of the baseball news cycle for a while.
Bauer is the girl that joined the yearbook club every year just so she could put her face on every page in order that people would finally notice her.
If I had to wager, his actual market was never all that large and he’s now racing against the clock to find somewhere to play. I’d imagine several teams were turned off by his boisterousness.
No! Don’t do it Mets! You’ll regret Bauer more than Jason Bay!
That would be a boat load of regret.
Heyman – “I really need attention. Team’s are interested in Trevor Bauer”
You heard it here first, mystery team is going to win the bidding.
You are not qualified to comment on mysteries unless you cruise around in The Mystery Machine and get occasional help from Phyllis Diller and the Harlem Globetrotters.
I could see it totally bkbk, this is a strange creature
Please no on Bauer to the Mets. Not worth the money, not worth the effort, would have a massive effect on their ability to retain their current players next year in free agency. He’s just as likely to be league average as he is to be great.
Exactly
It’s all relative to cost. Bauer is marketing for a big short term deal because he knows no one will sign him long term at big time money.
Ditto as a Dodger fan ! Id be ok with a 1 yr deal, 2 year deal wouldnt kill me but anything more I probably have a date with Don Julio coming real soon
The NL east or west is likely to test his ability a bit more than the NL central did.
Right. Signing him to a multi year contract would cripple the team’s ability to sign/re-sign the players they’ll need beyond ‘21. It basically gives them a very expensive 2 year window at best, followed by years of mediocrity at best, and very expensive at that. The financial commitments will eliminate the necessary flexibility to improve year to year.
This has essentially been the state of his market for weeks
For the Mets it’s time to do it or move on. If this is the way they are going fine. If not, and Bauer goes elsewhere, that’s fine. Mets still have some money to spend elsewhere. We are about two weeks out from Spring Training and time for both player and team to decide.
For all the Bauer cheerleaders.
1- He has performed at Ace level for only 1.5 yrs of his career. 5 other years he has been a #3-4 pitcher.
2- He pitched in the weakest offensive division in baseball.
By Runs scored 2020.
Cubs-20th
Brewers-26th
Reds- 27th
Cards- 28th
Pirates-30th
Let that sink in – 4 of the 5 worse offensives in MLB were in the NLC.
Anyone naïve enough to think that did not help Bauers 2020 numbers
There is a ton of performance variance with this guy which makes signing him for 30m+ over multiple years a highly risky proposition. This isnt a 1 yr x 18 m we are talking about.
At Best he has a P40 chance of delivering Ace level production for 4-5 yrs. You could easily end up paying 33-35m for a #3 .
This does not even touch on the side show issues.
I am glad the Jays seem to be out on him.
He did also pitch vs the braves who had a very good offense and pitched extremely well.
While not a sure thing he is a very good pitcher. Anywhete from an ace to a 3. Durable and very valuable.
Will u be happy with a #3 if you pay him like a #1?
Stymeedone- exactly my point
True but are you saying the same thing about Castillo and Grey then too?
Obviously being in that division with the weak offenses helped their numbers for sure. How could it not logically.
Grey I would be nervous about coming back to the ALE
Castillo I like but the Reds asking price is likely too the moon.
Id prefer one of Paxton or Walker and then if the offense is firing on all cylinders by the trade deadline look at what high end pitching rentals might be available .
Scherzer- Greinke etc.
Those 1.5 years are within the last 3 years, including the best half year. The question you should be asking is if he is on the verge of putting it all together. If so, he could put up more consistent stats. He’s always had great stuff and a good work ethic. I think he’ll do well, and if a team can get him on a short-term deal it is worth the risk as he has very high upside.
On the facing weak hitting teams. Problem with this argument is that the Reds only faced NL Central and AL Central teams. How do you really know that they’re all just weak hitting teams? Maybe both divisions have really good pitchers. If you look at team stats, the NL Central and AL Central have a lot of teams with good pitching stats, Team ERA, K/BB, etc. So, is it the weak hitting or strong pitching? Lastly, Bauer handled the White Sox (8th in MLB in OPS) and Braves in the playoffs (1st in MLB in OPS) in the two games against very good hitting teams. Shutout the Braves over 7 2/3 innings with 12 Ks.
I hope the Dodgers get him on a two-year deal. This will give them a top 3 of Bauer, Buehler and Kershaw. You can put up those three against any top 3.
Your argument could just as easily be turned into 1.5 out of the last 5 .
White Sox were 5 games total not sure how many Bauer himself pitched.
Bauer is David Price 2.0 . You could get TOR – you could get a #4 .
If you want to risk 33-35m per on Bauer have at it.
He needs to back up 2020 with a
great 2021 full season. Back to back yrs before he can be considered a bona fide ace.
Taijuan Walker has thrown 67 1/3 innings over the last 3 seasons.
Paxton has reached 160 innings once. Hit 150 innings in 2019 and barely hit 20 innings last season while getting roughed up.
Bauer has thrown 175+ innings from 2015-19. 190 innings or more twice in that span. He is durable. Money aside, Bauer is still the pick out of the players you mentioned you want to see the Jays pick up. I do not believe he will command $33-35-mil over a 5 or 6 year deal. I think $175-mil for 6 years will be enough. I could be wrong.
Teams have paid for durability in the past. Blue Jays ought to do it for the reigning Cy Young award winner, fraudulent award or not.
You can go back to 10 years for all we know back in the minors but what’s the point? Three years is enough of a sample size you don’t think, especially if it’s the last three seasons. I think 2016 and 2017 is less relevant. Sure, he had a bad 2019, and that should be part of the analysis. But he had a dominant 2020 season in a small sample size, and another dominant season in 2018.
Bauer is Price 2.0? Based on what? Where do you come up with this stuff? Any analysis or blowing smoke?
Bauer will get paid according to what the market gives him. He is the top player and pitcher of the offseason, like it or not. I’ve always said that the Dodgers should give him a guaranteed 2 year deal with high AAV and an opt out after 2021 to give him the opportunity to back out if he has a dominant 2021 season. Then he will seriously get paid. Not a bad scenario for the Dodgers for a one year rental because it will mean that he had a great 2021 season.
Roark was a durable innings eater prior to the shortened 60 game season with a 3.83 career era- look how that worked out.
6 @175 is to much to risk on Bauer.
His last full season he was a #3 .
Love how much weight some fans put into a 60 game stretch.
Baseball is a what have your done for me lately sport. No team cares what a player did 4-5 years ago. Recent performance is weighted the highest and the relative weight decreases as you go backwards from there.
Interesting. Tanner Roarks numbers were not so good in 2017. Or 2018. Or 2019. In fact his numbers were not on the same level during those 3 years as Bauer’s over 3 years. Even with Bauer’s bad 2019 season. Not quite a good comparison.
More like you are blowing smoke putting so much weight in one 60 game season.
Go look at Price stats 2016-2019 and do the same with Bauer. You would have to be blind or dogmatic not too see the large performance variance in both.
Bauer on 1-2 yr deal would lessen the risk sure . Over 5-6 yrs it has the potential to be underwater in a hurry.
Wild Bill
Point where I said Roark numbers in his best year were as good as Bauers best year.
Go reread what I actually said not what you think I said.
You were talking about how a durable innings eater is valuable. That was Roarks MO prior to 2020 .
I’ll take Price’s 2016 and 2018 seasons from Bauer with the Blue Jays lineup backing him. Price had more mileage on him than Bauer when Price signed the contract.
46-24 over 4 seasons (2 full) with a 3.84 ERA and 1.204 WHIP in Boston in the AL East. That’s not bad. I doubt any pitcher out on the market right now could do that and throw 588 innings over 4 years except for Bauer.
BTW if Roark was a TOR arm like Bauer he would have been paid like Bauer. He wasn’t. Your comparison is a good illustration as to why bringing up Roark does not fly here.
Ok=What did Bauer do in the last full season.
You can not put much weight in 60 games.
That would be like a Pitcher being a #3-4 up to the all star break then pitching as a #1 after. And then expecting to get paid on his last 2 months ignoring the full 6 months.
Thing is you can not cut and paste – cherry pick which seasons you count.
You cut and paste projection models and passed it off as fact. And you mentioned Tanner Roark, I just swatted it down.
I’ll play your little game and bring a better example, using your comment.
Pitcher goes 4.69 ERA 1st half, strong mid-2 ERA second half. Walk year. Lands a big contract. Has suspect durability but ace stuff. Year before, good season though up and down.
That pitcher is Zach Wheeler. Also had a strong 2020 campaign. And got paid nicely a year ago.
You’re comparing Bauer to Roark? Oh God. One has always had elite stuff and is perhaps on the verge of putting it together, the other like you said an innings eater. Please stop this silly comparison.
averagejoe: while I agree with you in principle I’d add this- yes recent performance should carry more weight, but it has to be more than 60 games. Two huge mistakes still made by fans (and sometimes teams) are 1. Overdoing the recency bias and 2. Perpetually perceiving players by the reputation they established years ago, but which may no longer be valid… ie, someone is gonna pay Lindor like he’s a 7 WAR player and he probably isn’t. There needs to be a balance.
Wild Bill
Bauer was a TOR for 1.5 seasons – Every other year he was at Roarks level.
I laid out my case why Bauer is not a sure fire TOR worthy of 5-6 yrs (yet). You then countered with durable innings eater and I used Roark as an example of how a durable innings eater can also have massive downside.
I was not comparing them side by side you made that erroneous leap.
Roark 2-24 is a massively different risk profile then Bauer 6-175.
mlbdodgerfan – agree 100%. This cat is a little off and keeps calling me by some other guy’s name thinking it was once my handle. Alas, can’t get through to this computer baseball fan crunching the numbers that do not account for other factors that make this game of baseball interesting.
Roark this , Price that…blah blah blah
It’s about Bauer
NYM. 3 yrs with opt out after 1st year. Book it. $90MM
Is the goal of a front office to choose interesting over wins?
Right, because all pitchers will do exactly the same as Price. What specifically about Price and Bauer is the common thread here? Because they’re both coming off success at age 29? I get it you’re not in favor of signing any pitcher with success at age 29.
MLB will you read what I said and try some comprehension.
I did not compare them as equals- I used Roark as an example of 1- how a durable innings eater can have massive downside. 2- How using a 60 game sample size can heavily skew a projection.
Sorry next time i will toss you underhand so you can comprehend more easily.
Bottom line – Prior to 2020 Bauer projected as a #3. Any team paying him multiple years at say 6@175 is taking on a heap of performance risk
EXACTLY what I said in my first comment.
No need to get angry again. We’re having spirited baseball debates. It is ok to be civil.
Prior to 2020 we could say Bauer was a Top 60 starting pitcher in baseball. That’s enough to be a #2 in the league.
Every long term deal is a risk. If the Jays aren’t willing to take that risk then they should have never signed Springer in the first place.
Wild Bill
Wheeler is getting paid 23.6 AAV – id be ok giving Bauer 23.6m x 5 yrs.
Bauer 6@175 . A big no thanks.
I should have prefaced it by saying $175-mil for 6 is as far as I’d be willing to go. Of course you try to bring the number down. You try to get it to Springer level if-possible.
Again, not my name Miss The Marko. Try again.
I should not have to but I will anyway.
2015 off season Price signed a contract paying him at Ace Level.
He had a high variance since ranging from a #1 to a 3 0r 4.
2017-2020 in the 3.5 yrs Bauer also had a high performance variance ranging from a #1 to a 3 or high end 4
Signing Bauer to a multi yr deal in the 30m+ range has alot of risk to be Price 2.0 .
Simple enough for ya.
“ Ok=What did Bauer do in the last full season.
You can not put much weight in 60 games.
MarkoRock68
February 4, 2021
Thing is you can not cut and paste – cherry pick which seasons you count.”
You realize you contradict yourself within a single comment? YOU ARE CHERRY-PICKING against Bauer just like you accuse others doing
Lurking
How am i cherry picking- I said in the last 3.5 yrs he pitched Ace level for 1.5 and as a #3-4 for the other 2.
I did not say oh look at only 2019 -2017.
Nor did i say to totally disregard 2020. I said what did he do in his last full year. I will spell it out for you as well ( visa vie a shortened 2020. )
@cosmo you’re not wrong about balance but I’d add Trevor Bauer was also dominant in 2018 people tend to forget he was a CY candidate but missed some time at the end of the year while Snell went wild.
So really he’s sandwiched 2 (1.5) elite years around 1 bad year. He’s not getting Cole’s deal, so I don’t understand all the fuss.
Bauer didn’t get to start against the Reds.
Wild Bill You are a true blue Hypocrite – accuse me of getting angry when you revert to your condescending arrogant self.
BTW- Your writing style- your views- the way you respond when challenged and resort to arrogance.. Anyone who was here last year interacting with WildBillTetley last year will know it is one in the same person.
Well said. He has giant land mine red flags all over him. I will be surprised if he is worth whatever contract he is worth.
Best rotation in baseball if he goes to the Mets? I think so but obviously I’m a little biased.
The Padres is better even if you pick up Bauer. Bauer is overrated
Maybe. It’s tough to say Lamet is legit and Bauer isn’t when they’re both coming off great short seasons though.
@krockMETS
Lamet’s stuff is legit. That slider of his is tough to handle even when hitters know it’s coming. His health is more of a concern to the Padres.
For what 12 starts. Let’s see this guy do it for a full season.
I’m admittedly biased towards SD, but I think from a top 5 pitchers perspective they line up really evenly if you put Bauer on NYM. NYM maybe has more upside because DeGrom is a freak of nature and the best overall pitcher in either rotation, but SD has more overall depth I think. (Luchessi is a good example of this, he might have to throw some this year for NYM, but he was buried on SD’s depth chart behind Morejon, Gore, and Weathers so he likely wasn’t going to be a factor for SD at all)
If NYM gets Bauer they would have the guys who finished 1st and 3rd in Cy Young voting and SD would have the guys who finished 2nd and 4th. Two absolutely stacked rotations.
Hey Cobb trade puts halos in equation.
I think you’re right-once Thor is back. If they sign Bauer, definitely the rotation with the most upside when Thor is back.
Oh yeah. And They have enough depth to cover that 5th spot until Thor returns.
I think syndergaard will be traded at the trade deadline if they sign Bauer. I can see it coming.
Why? What are they gonna get for a half season of a player coming off an injury? It just makes no sense for them to be in on Bauer at this point.
Bauer going to any one of the Mets, Indians, Dodgers, Padres or Reds would give them the best rotation in baseball.
Best 1-2 for sure. I’m not sold on Syndegaard, Stroman, Peterson, but that’s still a hell of a rotation anyway you look at it.
Degrom , bauer and Carrasco
@MikeD26 Yes. I didn’t mention them because I know those guys are real good. Syndegaard and Stroman I think are very good, but often overated. Peterson is still a big question mark.
Again? Haha… I don’t see the Dodgers as a good economical strategic fit even on a 1 year deal. Throw in the tax, and you’re talking almost 60m for 1 year for a player, when there’s not a big need there.
The “big need” is another ring and Bauer helps them with that.
Please never use the phrase “economical strategic fit” in a sport with no salary cap, thank you.
Once again, it’s not a good economical strategic fit. I believe the Dodgers front office are smarter than that. If it weren’t for the pandemic, I could see it happening.
You can keep saying it, but because it’s nonsense at its core, it just makes you look really, really dumb. Up to you I guess….
@ martmcrae
Its not a hard cap, but if you are paying attention, its working like one.
The luxury tax is a salary cap.
It’s a de facto cap, but it’s not a cap. A cap would suggest that the league won’t let teams spend more than 210M. They CAN spend more than that, but there are consequences.
The consequences, for most teams, aren’t worth it.
The Dodgers place a lot of emphasis on team chemistry and I do not think Bauer is ideal for that clubhouse. Also, it is true that the Dodgers really do not need him, as they already have a deep, solid rotation. I highly doubt they are serious contenders to sign him.
Gerrit Cole isn’t on the Dodgers, they have nothing to worry about in terms of “chemistry”, which also isn’t a real thing either, because at its core the game is played 1-on-1, hitter vs pitcher.
The late 70s Yankees, the early 70s A’s, the 10’s Giants had Bumgarner openly refusing to talk to teammates… “team chemistry” is mostly a myth, or has nothing to do with actually winning games, and always has been.
As usual, McFly, you post ignorant gibberish, just like your nonsense on Hoopshype.
This notion that the Dodgers don’t need him is false. They lose Maeda, Ryu and Hill last year via trades/free agency. I personally never liked the Graterol for Maeda trade, especially with Maeda on a team friendly deal. They were able to backfill the end of the rotation with the younger guys in 2020 in a short season. I think the jury is still out on Gonsolin. Up and down season last year if you include playoffs and still a small sample size. May with his stuff is more projectable, and Urias took a step forward with his playoff run but his regular season was a bit inconsistent. Put in Price who hasn’t pitched in over a season and when he did pitch before that was mediocre. Obviously he’s been in decline. And Kershaw who had a very good 2020 season, but wouldn’t exactly surprise you if he slipped a bit in a longer season and his back gives out again. May and Gonsolin will also be on innings limit. Urias hasn’t thrown more than 80 innings in a season. I think still a lot of question marks that could be solved by adding on Bauer.
I was with you until Urias. He missed a lot of time for reasons we should know all about and was held back for reasons that have now disappeared. The way he was used last year tells me the Dodgers are no longer worried about his shoulder, and he won’t face any limitations going forward.
Signing Bauer would crowd the rotation and force decisions on May and Gonsolin that maybe the Dodgers don’t really want to make now.
Spot on. I don’t see great depth when you are counting on Price and/or Gonsolin to fill out your rotation, and a lot of innings from both Urias and May. Sticking in Bauer for a year or two as your number 2 or 3 would be ideal. My only concern is whether spending a ton on Bauer would make it less likely that they re-sign Seager next year.
Urias is still a risk. Less of a risk compared to May and Gonsolin. He will be used as a starter only. Will he be able to pitch 175+ innings in the context of never pitching over 80 innings? Probably fine but he’s never done it before. Just pointing out the risks. It’s also more difficult to find consistency pitching 175+ innings versus 80 innings.
Signing Bauer gives the Dodgers a much better rotation. They haven’t done much since last year so in essence the team has worsened. I’m not sold on Gonsolin yet, and May has the stuff but he’s not there yet to rely on him for the full season. Both guys need to get a lot more consistent. Signing Bauer will not be an issue for May and Gonsolin’s development because neither will be allowed to pitch the entire season as a full-time starter. They can easily plug them as a half starter each for the #5 spot. This will preserve them for the post season and limit their innings.
Look at it that way and everybody is a risk. At this point Urias isn’t any more of a risk than anyone else, and arguably less than either Kershaw or Price. The shoulder injury was the risk for Urias, and it’s way back in the rearview mirror now. I wouldn’t worry about him.
Bauer might work for the Dodgers now, but a year from now not so much, if they want to continue to develop May and Gonsolin. They will have to be broken out of their limited roles, shifted to new ones, or traded. FWIW I believe May’s best chances might turn out to be as a backend reliever, maybe even a closer, but I doubt the Dodgers are willing to go there with him yet.
The Dodgers take in so much revenue each year they would be profitable with Bauer at 1 year $60M so if it increases their WS odds enough and they value him at that rate over 1 year, then they would certainly make that deal.
I also don’t think attributing the entirety of the tax penalty to the single player that puts you over makes sense. It’s a payroll tax, not an individual player tax. The calculation should be made in the context of a team’s entire roster just as a team’s evaluation or need for a specific player takes the entirety of the roster into context. When you put a hypothetical tax hit of $10M in the context of your entire hypothetical $230M payroll it’s not so burdensome. This is how teams ‘should’ view the tax.
This guy will be overpaid.
Yes, this is how baseball salaries are structured: comically underpaid for the first 5 or so years, then they make more as they get older.
So its Bauer to the Dodgers it is then!
The Mets are ALWAYS gunna Met, never forget this fact. I guess this could mean signing Bauer and him needing TJ immediately, but I doubt he even bothers with them.
Weren’t you the guy calling people racist yesterday for not thinking Bradley was deserving of 5 years?
@krockMETS….that was your inference from his comment.
I have no idea how these situations are related but I did no such thing anyway, if thats how you read it….thats…interesting….
I truly truly hope the Dodgers “lose’ this one unless its a 1 year deal
Martino Reported Before Heyman So it might Actually Be True ….
Sigh. Man, it’ hard rooting for the Angels.
Why? This isn’t the guy for them
As a fellow Angels fan, I really do think Bauer is overrated.
I absolutely agree. Bauer is the wrong move for the Angels. It just sucks, year after year, watching them fill the “rotation” with mediocrity and then reading about quality arms going elsewhere.
I’d prefer Odorizzi, but with 9 pitchers jockeying for starts, they won’t add anybody at this point.
Could be worse, you could be an A’s fan.
they will trade for a catcher using up top prospects.
bauer is overrated. that’s for sure. however, he is light years better than any current angels pitchers. granted, some of them may and will get better. the problem is how much can the angels wait?
It doesn’t matter what Bauer is now. It matters what people think he’s going to become. He’s projected to become a really good starter. That’s why he’s going to get paid. People keep looking at career stats for players, as opposed to projected stats.
Ok and his projected stats for 2021 pegs him as a solid #3.
You think a #3 is worth 33-35m per on a multi-year deal.
If it’s $70mil for 2 years, sure.
Jays overpaid Semien. Most Jays fans loved it. Only difference is the Jays need a SP upgrade and Bauer is it.
@MarkoRock Yes. The 2020 CY Young is a very good #3.
Thats most likely a 50th percentile projection though.
Well, to be fair…career stats are facts and projected stats are speculation.
His career stats say that next he he might be great but he has a history of some less than great seasons.
VanHays – another 60 game cheerleader I take it.
Recency bias much.
And? That doesn’t change anything that was said.
I would consider 2@ 70 . It has less of a potential downside. The Jays young guys have 3-5 yrs of control so 2 yrs will not handicap the team
With that i would prefer one of the proven older Aces next off season on 1 yr high AAV deals.
The nail in the coffin for me regarding Bauer was reading how he stalked and bullied a girl on twitter for a full weekend a couple yrs ago.
That is a big red light- bells and whistles warning sign in itself.
@Marko Yes. Because 2018 didn’t happen right? And the first half of 2019?
Van Hayes
ok so the rest of 2019 didnt happen right or 2017.
He has not consistently shown he deserves an Ace level contract.
That does not even factor in the off field aspect.
Go read about him stalking and bullying a girl on twitter. Real upstanding role model to be around young players.
@Marko Oh I’m not even calling him an Ace. I never said that. I’m only arguing that he’s far better than a #3, which you called him. That’s my only point. He will definitely be overpaid. That’s the state of the market right now. He’s no deGrom. He’s no Cole. He never will be. I’m not arguing his personality one way or the other. I comp him to a Zack Wheeler type. A pitcher trending upwards with ace potential. He may never hit that potential. It’s a gamble.
Yes yes yes the Mets will top the East once again!!!
If the Mets sign him and want to reduce team salary obligations by trade, who would they trade?
No one will want Familia’s $11M+ contract nor will anyone pay much for just a potential half-season of Syndergaard. Maybe one of Diaz or Betances could be moved but the Mets still need their arms. Conforto makes some sense because he’s in that last year of control, but he’d be a big loss for a team making moves to win now.
Theyd prolly only be 5 or less over- They could move that with a prospect…Wouldnt be MC
Mets aren’t trading a closer with 3 years of control and definitely aren’t trading Conforto who is gonna sign an extension within the next month
Yeah. my point was there isn’t anyone that makes much sense to trade away, at least not anyone who is making more than $2M.
Are they signing Conforto to an extension? And then Lindor? They lose Syndergaard and Stroman. Definitely no room for anything else after replacing them with even one player. Definitely no room for Bauer.
If the Mets want Bauer and are worried about the tax, it’s just a matter of how the contract is structured. Betances, Syndergaard and Familia come off the books next year.
It’s really hard to structure a contract to avoid a luxury tax hit in the early years, especially if you’re doing a short-term deal.
If it’s a long-term contract, you can tack on extra years to lower the AAV every year (see Harper, DJLM). Or you could get tricky like the White Sox did with Hendriks and try to lower the tax hit in an option year after the guaranteed term, but that results in a bigger hit up front, which is presumably something the Mets would not want.
You can structure a contract to reduce the cash flow affects, via deferrals or otherwise, but that generally won’t reduce the luxury tax hit.
yet the angels are happy with duds!
This makes little sense for either team. The Mets nor the Dodgers really need him. His sideshow personality doesn’t seem to make sense for him to join either team. On the Dodgers, he would have 6 or more players ahead of him in the pecking and at least three with the Mets. I have always perceived him as needing to be the top dog, centerpiece, or showstopper for a team and he will not be that on either of these teams. Red Sox, Giants, Jays, Angels all make more sense to me.
Red Sox were never a landing spot, Angels want to spend on multiple pitchers and the Giants want to end their big contracts before competing. However I am surprised Blue Jays are not involved here.
Jays are likely waiting until next FA period to offer out another big contract, most can see Bauer isn’t “worth” a hefty 4-6 year commitment. I wouldn’t complain if the Jays did sign him, but I think Paxton is the most likely, followed by Walker, then Odorizzi and finally Bauer if the price/term are to their liking
You don’t want to handcuff yourself to multiple FA big money deals in 1 season, so many things can happen. For example an Elite SP may be frustrated with his team’s current standing and lack of effort to build a contender and wants to force his way to a contender mid season. There are ample trade scenarios already present with Colorado and Cincinnati. We also have a hidden Gem in Mayweather who just needs a chance.
None of those things can happen if you give Bauer 5/185 or even 3/100. If he’ll take 1/40 sure give it to him, if he gets rocked in his first 6-8 starts all you wasted was 40 million (which probably gets recouped in Jersey sales and TV packages anyway) and you can still pursue a trade or internal options while having plenty of funds for the next FA class.
Im more interested in Thor returning on a big contract than Bauer personally, but again I wouldn’t knock it if it happens as a Jays fan
If he gets rocked in his first 6-8 starts, those jerseys ain’t selling.
@rangers13 The Mets have some good pitching, but they do not have 3 starters better than Bauer. They have 1 starter better than Bauer (and everyone else in the league).
Bauer wants to be on a contender, and if that means that he haasss to pitch with the best pitcher in baseball then why is that a bad thing? He’s not to the egotistical level of needed to be everybody’s cover-boy to go to a team. I don’t think he’d hate to play with the best pitcher of the past 3 years.
Bauer is overrated and way overpriced. I don’t care who takes him as long as the Giants don’t take him
Yeah and I don’t want him to sign with the Angels,
Count my Tigers out!
Just sign with the Dodgers and get it over already.
Somehow he’ll be great for them but get hurt and pitch like his 2/3 self for us.
If the two choices are LAD or NYM then they’ll be lots of good times.
Think about the NYM Fans losing their ever living minds. Imagine Bauer drilling Freeman or Harper. Then move on to Judge and a rumble in the Bronx.
Bauer in LA makes them prohibitive favorites with SD battling all year.
Oh… NYM probably win the division too
No “news” here.
I think (hope) the Mets have already made their best offer and are just waiting out his agent. The guy has been taking 1 year contracts trying to cash in. He’ll NEVER have another season like 2020 to get that big contract.
I believe it has been three teams all along: Mets, Dodgers and Blue Jays. There just aren’t that many teams willing or able to sink 100 million into a flaky starting pitcher coming off a career 11 start stretch.
Jays need him, Mets want him, Dodgers are fantasizing and fueling the $$ Fire.
Mets please Mets please
Gonna make it real hard to keep Lindor and Conforto if they sign Bauer.
The owner is a freakin billionaire. Pretty sure he isn’t worried about keeping Lindor. Conforto I’d say let him go. He’s good but not Lindor good.
Billionaire or not they are going to be in danger of blowing past the cap and even Cohen has his limits. Folks need to stop pretending that he has no limits, like, “300 million?”, no problem! It’s absurd. And they’re not even that much of a powerhouse on paper after these moves.
If I was a betting man, my money would be on the Dodgers signing him. As a Padres fan that’s bad news. The Dodgers would have the edge. Though the gap wouldnt be insurmountable it would necessitate the Padres signing or trading for another veteran arm in case of injury. I’d like a Porcello, Hamels or Arrieta signing for depth. Bauer to the Dodgers yikes. I’ll tip my cap but the thought makes me cringe.
Bauer spent all winter self-hyping his free agency case… for his sake, I hope he lands a mega-contract with many years and a full no-trade clause. Because the moment he starts to look like the non-2020 version of Bauer, the ship will sink completely.
All of this is to say: can the dude just sign somewhere already?
I’d rather see him sign for the bare minimum. As close to $25MM AAV as possible. With no more than 4 years. 3 would be better. Because the fact is he isn’t worth more than that and I hate seeing teams underwater on big contracts. Bad for the fans.
Hes with more than what wheeler or Corbin got.
the bauer talks just keep droning on.
Let’s just get the whole Trevor Bauer thing over with. This dude is way overrated. So sick of hearing about this guy and his “brand”. If his “brand” is so hot and in demand why doesn’t he have any endorsements? Just get this nonsense over with already. Like most here, just glad he ain’t signing with my squad, the White Sox!
Phillies need to throw in their chips to make up for the dumpster diving . If they can pay bum arrieta 30 mil a season they’d be stupid to not invest in Bauer
Whoever it is, please please please don’t come back to Cincinnati.
Mets, it’s most likely the Mets. Just like when the Dodgers new ownership group took over, they blew there payroll up threw the roof, and well over the tax. I can see the Mets new owner doing the same.
I do believe even the big market teams, are treating the tax threshold as an hard cap this season, if at all possible. Mets new, “kid in the candy store” owner excluded. 😉
If I’m the Astros I sign Bauer to the same exact deal the Yankees gave Cole but with an extra $20 donated to Coles charity just so everyone in baseball can lose their minds. They would be in the conversation of the most hated teams ever.
They “could be”???? The only reason the Astros survived was the empty stadiums that covid provided. They are clearly on the list already, and solidly near the top.
I would love to see the ultimate baseball villain. The joker of baseball.
Ridiculous Angels, ridiculous!!
Two years 30-33 M per, is the safest bet. As a team with the QO one year is risky because he is not that consistent, that’s why I like the second year. Go Dodgers
Agent: We’re down to two!
Meaning: There’s only one left but they aren’t offering enough for my client
Lol facts!
Always the Dodgers involved, sometime you think they just like to get involved to drive up the price for other NL teams or agents just use the Dodgers due to their resources.
Bauer will sign with the Mets within a week of Spring Training.
Looking more and more like the Mets have been bidding against themselves the whole time. Mets are going to overpay. They need to play hardball. Bauer doesn’t have any other real options.
It wont surprise me at all if he ends up in San Diego. They seem extremely motivated to put together the very best they can and he would add to an already formidable staff.
The rich get richer- surprise surprise
As a Mets fan, if signing Bauer means they don’t extend Lindor, I’ll be very upset.
Anyone who gives him $30M+ a year is going to be sorely disappointed.
Seems like Bauer probably wants the dodgers but they probably ain’t offering enough. So he’ll end up with the Mets
Id rather have Bauer any day over Conforto, Conforto has had one good season and doesn’t hit in the clutch, Bauer shows up for big games
The funny thing is that he’ll end up a Met. And be the 4th best pitcher in the city.. he’s a clown
Run Trever run
“A fool and his money are soon parted.”
Signs with Dodgers and they trade Price to Angels and pickup half of salary Dodgers own. Angels get him on 2 year deal for 16 mill
As a Phillies Phan, I think the Mets are right on the heels of the Braves..If the Mets do get Bauer, I think they leapfrog ATL and win the NLE.. I think he is very good…not elite, but a difference maker.. I wouldn’t mind seeing him on the Phillies, but they seem to be up against the LUX threshold..Although John Middleton did say they would go over if the signing was going to give them more than a Wildcard..
TB would make the Phils rotation right there with the East and they do score runs..Just can’t beat the Guppies..so frustrating..
Who cares ? Cohen could drop $100 bills on the ground every waking minute for the rest of his life and not go broke.
All sports owners could drop 100 dollar bills and not feel it but this is such a nonsensical argument. It has nothing to do with the real world where things like payroll limits and budgetary strategy actually exist no matter how much folks pretend otherwise. Newsflash: Cohen is not blowing the payroll over 250 million, he’ll have a ceiling, and it’ll probably be well lower than that.
Nope. Not all owners are alike. For most, their team is their main business and they have cash flow considerations. For Cohen this is a toy. He could spend $200m, he could spend $250m, he could spend $300m. Doesn’t matter to him. Given the market I would imagine he’d still be making money at $250m, once fans come back. So he loses $50m? Pocket change. He’s just playing around to see if he can win a title. A different situation than the Dodgers’ hedge fund owners, who don’t care about the team but saw what they thought was a good investment. That came with a budget.
If this happens start making them rings!
What if Bauer is using the Mets to get a better offer out of LA?
What if LA is just driving up the price on the Mets, so they have less money to spend on future needs?
It’s not going to be possible to wring the Mets dry. Cohen has for all practical purposes infinite money. The Mets payroll isn’t even a big expenditure for him compared to his other businesses. Dodgers are gonna have to adjust to not being the only NL team owned by a hedge fund.
Bauer to Mets – 3/$91m – Heard it here first
Done deal? This would make sense
Well maybe 2nd. See 100+ comments above 🙂
Lol I had no context man I just got it from Carton hahah
Imagine what Clemens would get paid today?
60 game CY Young and the discussion is $30 million per year
7 CY Youngs gets $50 million per year on a long series of 1 and 2 year deals. Make me believe that there is another outcome.
Now imagine how good Clemons would have been without the PED’s.
Ms. Luba has quite the credentials when she worked for MLB….as far as I know, she only has 2 MLB clients, some other pro clients not part of MLB..I don’t think she would float something like this out of hand..I’m willing to give her the benefit of doubt… clearly, she is not Scott Boras
A guy with a 3.90 career era!!! What a joke!
Since he started using substances to increase spin rate he is a monster. I realize no one watched him with Cincy last year, but that dude is flat fantastic now. He’s very very hard to hit.
Bauer actually off handed admitted to it..he had been accusing others of doctoring to make their spin rates better..he then said he could also make his spin rate better and HE DID! I heard him say that myself on his YouTube channel..for sure, he is not bashful..he was watched, and no one was able to see anything, yet see what he was able to do? I call that chutzpah!!!!
bauer plans to prove dizzy dean correct — ” it aint braggin if-in you can do it”
@Joeypower How either ignorant or disingenuous does someone have to be to float career ERA as the single most important stat for a pitcher?
Serious question—assuming you understood it, that is.
Braves own a 263/363/461/823 line on Bauer. Bring it.
Like that postseason game? In all honesty the Braves are a great team. Can’t wait to go to battle with you guys.
3 years at $100m…have at it, Mets. Something tells me Mets fans will be praying for him to exercise that opt-out if the report is accurate and Bauer accepts that offer.
Three years is an amazing deal for the Mets. With their spending ability, the shorter the contract the better, and the AAV is kind of irrelevant. If they get him that is an absolute mega-team.
If he helps them win the World Series, he is welcomed to opt out. It would be the best case scenario for the Mets actually.
@whynot That;’s very hard to say. Imagine Bauer has a strong 2021, finishes… 7th in the Cy Young voting, and the Mets win the World Series.
If the original deal was 3/100m and now, for 2022-23 the Mets could sign Bauer for 2/67m with Syndergaard and Stroman either leaving as FAs or getting FA money, they’d probably opt to keep Bauer.
They’d have a terrific 1-2 at the top of the rotation. They’d have Lucchesi and Peterson for the #5 slot, and they’d need to fill out the +3 and 4 slots cheaply. They can probably do one of those in trade, and figure out a way to fudge the other.
In any case, their window is 2021 and 2022, after which more than half the club is FA or getting close to FA money in the form of extensions. If Bauer doesn’t opt out and they have him for 2022 for a 33.3m AAV, that’s a good thing.
The only problem is if he reverts to 2017 and 2019 form and stays there. The Mets will then be overpaying Bauer by about 10m / year. There are worse things, I guess, but it will hamper their shot at the WS in 2022.
WAKE UP ANGELS!!!!!!
Comon’ Dodgers!
– Mets fan
Obviously the Mets will be on the level of the Padres and Dodgers if they get Bauer, but think how badly Alderson has handled this offseason if their fortunes will be changed so dramatically at the last minute by the decision of one player with no allegiance to the team.
–And at this point in the offseason there’s no meaningful backup plan, beyond chasing and overpaying Odorizzi or an injury reclamation project.
Alderson didn’t even consider getting Lynn. He let Darvish and Snell and Musgrove get by him. He desperately needed another starting pitcher, and the best he could do was a slightly more reliable version of Steve Matz, in Joey Lucchesi.
So now the entirety of the Mets fortunes for 2021 hang on Trevor Bauer deciding whether to go to a team that just lost their GM to scandal, and whose former manager is currently suspended for a similar issue—or to the current World Champion LA Dodgers.
Jaysus. Alderson’s hopeless.
1-You assume that Bauer wants to play for the NYMs. He could simply be using them as leverage.
2-Alderson has exactly just been hanging around. He’s been about as active as any GM outside of Preller.
IMO, Darvish & Snell were overpayments. Musgrove might’ve been a nice addition, but you don’t know what the offers were.
Fwiw, MLB dot com has Bauer as the 4th best starting pitching in the major leagues.
4th best. And if you can get that guy, in his prime, for 3/100m?
How could you not?
Sign Bauer only on Dodgers terms! The most important person to sign is JT!
He’s not worth the money one good year playing in the worst division doesn’t deserve that kind of money plus he’s been trouble where ever he has played. Either team will be sorry giving up that much money