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Nathan Aronoff

THE ULTIMATE PITCHING WILDCARD: TREVOR BAUER

THE MARKET:

Between Ohtani’s UCL tear and Blake Snell’s walk issue, the pitching market this offseason is much thinner than anticipated. Since Ohtani and Snell are unreliable, the offseason has become an all-out bidding war over Japanese superstar, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. If you don’t know why Yamamoto appeals to MLB teams, check out my article discussing the matter. Yamamoto has already been leaked to many teams, such as the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Giants, and Rangers, yet only one team will get him. The compensation prizes for the teams that miss out on Yamamoto aren’t exciting, especially since the Cardinals already took three starting pitchers off the market. On November 29th we saw just how bad the situation is when the Mets gave a hefty 13-million-dollar contract to Luis Severino who hasn’t played a full season since 2018 and is coming off a 6.65 ERA in 2023. 

Due to the lack of depth in the free-agent market, teams will get desperate. This desperation may inspire teams to turn to a pitcher who is more than a bit unconventional; Trevor Bauer. 


WHY NOT SIGN TREVOR BAUER:

Trevor Bauer has never been afraid to express himself. Even in his college days at UCLA, Bauer was rumored to be unable to get along with his co-ace, Gerrit Cole, who is now one of, if not the top pitcher in the MLB. Bauer has claimed that it was only healthy competition that got a bit out of hand and that it is long behind the two CY Young winners. Yet it is hard to tell if that’s the truth or if Bauer was just trying to be professional, and who knows if the feud will re-spark if they’re reunited?

Bauer came up with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2012 and instantly had issues getting along with teammates, causing Arizona to trade him to the then Cleveland Indians immediately after his rookie season.

 Over the next 6 seasons in Cleveland, Bauer seemed to settle in nicely. Trevor Bauer broke out in 2018 as he posted an incredible 2.21 ERA, earned his first All-Star selection, and placed 6th in CY Young voting and 22nd in MVP voting. Over those 6 years, Bauer pitched for Cleveland in 10 playoff games, including an unforgettable start of seven scoreless innings against Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees in 2017. 

In 2019, things went downhill. Bauer was nearing the end of his contract and since Cleveland has a custom of not paying big money to their breakout players, a potential Trevor Bauer trade was anticipated. In his last start before the trade deadline, Bauer faced a lackluster Kansas City Royals lineup. He was eager to take advantage of his untalented opponent to put on a big-time performance and convince Cleveland to keep him around for their playoff run. Unfortunately, it was the Royals who put on a big-time performance and beat up Bauer for 7 runs. In the 5th inning, manager Terry Francona had seen enough and went to get Bauer. However, instead of handing the ball to Francona, Bauer turned and chucked the ball over the centerfield fence, disrespecting the team and their leader. Bauer’s act solidified his trade and only three days later, Trevor was shipped off to the Cincinnati Reds. 

The next season was the shortened 2020-Covid season. Bauer decided that it would be fun to show the fans what it was like to be an MLB player with all the madness going on, by starting a Youtube vlog. The MLB’s administration was strongly against Bauer’s vlog, yet he wasn’t breaking any rules or policy so there wasn’t much they could do about it. Throughout the season Bauer and the MLB had many clashes, and threats of fines and suspension were thrown in the air. Such as, when the MLB suspended Joe Kelly, Bauer made custom “Free Joe Kelly” cleats but was informed that if he wore them on the mound he would be suspended (7:28). While all this was going on, Trevor Bauer was a magician on the mound. Bauer posted an unreal 1.73 ERA and carried the Reds to the playoffs, winning the CY Young Award while at it. It was a shortened season, but his accomplishments are still impressive. 

After Bauer’s great season, he signed a massive 3-year contract worth 102 million dollars with the reigning world series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers. After everything he went through, all his hard work finally paid off, or so we thought. During his first season in LA, a woman by the name of Lindsay Hill accused Trevor of sexually assaulting her twice. Even though Hill had no evidence, MLB’s administration saw this as an opportunity to get rid of this “troublemaker” once and for all and suspended him. The Dodgers cut Bauer and even when he was reinstated, nobody picked him up. 

Bauer decided that the bridge was burnt between him and the MLB and chose to take his talents overseas, to the NPB. Trevor signed a one-year contract with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. With the move to Japan, the YouTube vlog’s viewership skyrocketed. It took Bauer some time to get adjusted to Japan but once it clicked, Bauer became dominant once again. In 24 starts with the BaysStars, Bauer put up an incredible 2.59 ERA. 


WHY SIGN TREVOR BAUER:

In Bauer’s short stint with the BayStars, he quickly became a fan favorite. In addition, in his recent vlogs, Trevor showed a new sense of maturity. Even though it is possible to pretend to be a good person in front of a camera, he’s a baseball player, not an actor. I believe he’s changed. Not only does he seem like a genuinely good person, but he also appeared to be a locker room favorite in Yokohama. This means there is no reason to be concerned about Bauer’s past locker room feuds.

Here’s the banger: On October 2nd, 2023 the Bauer-Hill case was officially terminated and damning evidence was released. The evidence was text messages between Lindsay Hill and her friends, from before the accusations, discussing Bauer’s net worth and Hill’s intentions to take Bauer’s money. (I’m not justifying sexual assault in any shape or form. Hill is a liar, not a victim.) 

Even if he has a bit of a confrontational personality, Trevor Bauer is a good man and an even better pitcher. Bauer’s fiery personality is healthy for the growth of the game of baseball as well. Recently, baseball insider Jon Heyman, reported that Bauer’s agents have been in contact with MLB teams about a potential return. Due to all of his history, Bauer’s market is extremely poor for a pitcher with a career ERA of 3.79, 1,416 strikeouts, and a CY Young award under his belt. Bauer iscoming off a great season as well. With the lack of available talent outside Yamamoto, why not take a chance on Bauer? It’s safer than the Mets giving 13 million dollars to a guy who hasn’t been healthy since Adrián Beltré was in the league. 


REALISTICALLY:

We don’t know if Bauer wants to return to the MLB, after all, he went to Japan because “the bridge was burnt”. Bauer has the option of renewing his contract with the BayStars or joining a different Japanese ball club. However, Bauer’s friends and family are in the US and his Japanese is still shaky, so don’t be surprised if Bauer signs a short “prove it” deal with an MLB team. Personally, as a Yankee fan, if we miss out on Yamamoto, I would love to see Steinbrenner and Cashman sign Bauer to a 1 or 2-year deal and then use the money they saved on a left-handed outfielder. 



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