After a quiet start to the offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers sent shockwaves throughout Major League Baseball when they signed reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer to a record-setting three-year contract.
Many expected the Southern California native to wind up with the New York Mets, who reportedly had the biggest offer on the table. However, Bauer opted to join his hometown team and later revealed that the organization itself was the biggest selling point.
Shortly after reports surfaced that the 30-year-old was signing with the Dodgers, the likes of Cody Bellinger and David Price took to social media to share their reaction.
During a recent appearance on “Dodger Talk” with David Vassegh, Chris Taylor said he and others were also excited to hear the news of Bauer joining the Dodgers, via AM 570 L.A. Sports:
“Obviously I was excited. I was actually working out at the stadium and we all heard when somebody saw it on Twitter or something. Yeah, everybody was super pumped. Just to bring him into our rotation that was already stacked, and just to add the Cy Young winner, how could we not feel good about that? I think we’re excited and he’s going to help us win a lot of games.”
Despite already having one of the deepest starting rotations, the Dodgers pounced on the opportunity to add another elite talent in Bauer when talks with other teams broke down.
He will be pitching alongside the likes of fellow Cy Young Award winners Clayton Kershaw and David Price, as well as rising stars Walker Buehler and Julio Urias.
In 11 starts for the Cincinnati Reds last season, Bauer went 5-3 with a 1.73 ERA, 2.88 FIP, 0.80 WHIP and 100 strikeouts over 73 innings. It’s unclear where he will slot in the Dodgers’ starting rotation, as the club is still mulling who will take the mound on Opening Day.
Bauer vows to learn from social media mistakes
During his introductory press conference, Bauer touched on many topics, including his past social media usage and a desire to learn from his mistakes. “Everyone makes mistakes in the past. I’ve tried to learn from them, I’ve tried to learn as quickly as I possibly can, I try to understand other peoples’ viewpoints on things and be better in the future,” he said.
“I think if you look at my history as a baseball player, my history on social media, my history as a person for those who know me well, they’ll see that I apply that process to everything that I do.
“I’m committed to doing that moving forward and ultimately I’m here to be a positive impact on anyone that I can be in the community, in the clubhouse, on the field, at the stadium, whatever the case is. I’m excited to be here, I’m excited to win with this group, I’m excited to interact with the Dodger fans and community of L.A.”
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