With the scheduled start of 2021 Spring Training just over two weeks away, there has been much more movement on the free-agent market as of late. J.T. Realmuto recently came off the board after agreeing to a five-year contract to stay with the Philadelphia Phillies, while Trevor Bauer could be inching closer to a decision.
The 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner most prominently has been linked to the Los Angeles Dodgers, L.A. Angels, New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays. However, the Angels are no longer believed to be a suitor after a recent report suggested there is a rift between him and pitching coach Mickey Callaway.
The Mets also have been listed as a main contender for Bauer’s services, and that speculation only picked up after the team traded Steven Matz to the Blue Jays on Wednesday, freeing up a spot in their starting rotation.
While the Mets appear to be a good fit on paper, one agent believes Bauer is waiting for the Dodgers to enter the picture before making a decision, per Marc Carig, Brittany Ghiroli and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic:
While the Mets have made a splash in trading for shortstop Francisco Lindor, several agents still predicted they’d go after Bauer. The Dodgers got one full vote and another mention from an agent who was torn. “He wants $250 million and they are holding out for the Dodgers.”
The Dodgers don’t have a pressing need for starting pitching, but they have regularly shown a willingness to be opportunistic with top talent, especially if it can come in the form of a short-term contract.
This was evident when the club attempted to lure Bryce Harper with a high average annual value a couple of years ago, but he ultimately decided to join the Philadelphia Phillies on a long-term contract.
Bauer at one point appeared open to sign a series of one-year contracts to finish his career, but he likely will take the longest deal offered to him.
Bauer is coming off a stellar 2020 season in which he posted a modest 5-4 but had a 1.73 ERA and 0.79 WHIP in 11 starts. He led the NL in ERA, WHIP, opponents’ batting average (.159), opponents’ BABIP (.215), adjusted ERA+ (276), hits per nine innings (5.1), shutouts (two) and complete games (two).
Bauer asks Dodgers fans for pitch
Bauer has taken a unique approach to his free agency process by regularly addressing matters on social media and through his Momentum platform. That recently included a FaceTime call with Dodgers fans in which he asked for their best pitch on signing with the team.
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