Let's talk about Trevor Bauer

[Benjamin Grimm]

I suppose it's time to kick off our annual "Let's Talk About" series.



This is from an inconsequential article on Yahoo Sports:

Asked Wednesday night in an SNY poll which player they would most like to see in a Mets uniform in 2021, Bauer garnered the most votes -- more than J.T. Realmuto, Nolan Arenado, George Springer, and Francisco Lindor. One person who noticed the poll was Bauer's agent, Rachel Luba, who tweeted "I'll be sure to pass this along to @BauerOutage."

https://sports.yahoo.com/trevor-bauers-agent-inform-him-152754015.htmlhttps://sports.yahoo.com/trevor-bauers-agent-inform-him-152754015.html

[MFS62]

Would be a very good addition to the team.

He's a strikeout pitcher, so I don't think the Mets' shoddy defense would hurt him much. But he might be concerned about the frustrating lack of run support after talking to DeGrom (and I think he would before signing here).

Assuming Cohen won't spend an unlimited amount of money, I'd rather spend it on a catcher and centerfielder and then go after second tier starters. The team needs more than one to fill out the rotation.

Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

I've kind of had my fill of second-tier starters. That smells a lot like bringing in another Porcello and another Wacha.



You're right, though, we have no idea how much spending Cohen is going to be willing to do. I think he's going to want to go big, but we can't assume that. We can't even assume that he's going to get control of the team.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Yeah I am willing to give some 2nd stringers a shot but it can't be the strategy.



I can hardly believe the Mets had a starting 5 of deGrom-Syndy-Wheelie-Stroman-Matz/Lugo/Whomever and thought they'd do better breaking it up. And we've been over this before, I'm certain that was only accidental.



Bauer is a ... colorful guy. Also, I don;t think anything deGrom tells him about the run support will

a-will sway him or his agent in any way;

b-be news to Bauer or anyone else with a passing interest in baseball;

c-believe inadequate run support 2 years before actually matters or is likely to continue given he's be joining one of the best offenses in the National League;

[batmagadanleadoff]

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: Yeah I am willing to give some 2nd stringers a shot but it can't be the strategy. I can hardly believe the Mets had a starting 5 of deGrom-Syndy-Wheelie-Stroman-Matz/Lugo/Whomever and thought they'd do better breaking it up. And we've been over this before, I'm certain that was only accidental. Bauer is a ... colorful guy. Also, I don;t think anything deGrom tells him about the run support will a-will sway him or his agent in any way; b-be news to Bauer or anyone else with a passing interest in baseball; c-believe inadequate run support 2 years before actually matters or is likely to continue given he's be joining one of the best offenses in the National League;

What you said. I'm with all of this. And what a pleasure it is to be having realistic discussions about the Mets acquiring top-tier free agent talent. Hasn't happened here since I've been a member of this furshlugginer forum. Or at least, not "realistic" ones.



I'll tell you what -- if the Mets sign just one FA, I'd rather it be Bauer instead of Realmuto. I like JR but he's a 30 year old catcher. The Mets should've signed Realmuto two years ago when they signed Ramos. But the fucking Wilpons.

[Frayed Knot]

Except that Realmuto wasn't a FA two years ago. It was a trade that moved him from Miami to Philly.





Bauer, a guy who has more than his share of detractors, was college teammates (UCLA) with, but didn't get along with, Gerrit Cole ... so that could make for an interesting rivalry.

Edited October 16, 2020 by Guest

[Fman99]

He's an asshole. I would have trouble rooting for someone like that. I'd rather see Stroman come back, give you 80-90% potential of Bauer without all the tabloid garbage.

[seawolf17]

=Fman99 post_id=48615 time=1602865609 user_id=86]
He's an asshole. I would have trouble rooting for someone like that. I'd rather see Stroman come back, give you 80-90% potential of Bauer without all the tabloid garbage.

[MFS62]

=Fman99 post_id=48615 time=1602865609 user_id=86]
He's an asshole. I would have trouble rooting for someone like that. I'd rather see Stroman come back, give you 80-90% potential of Bauer without all the tabloid garbage.

[metsmarathon]

if we're gonna go with promising guys who took forever to have a year that wasn't shaky, i'd maybe be interested in gausman instead, considering bauer's baggage, and the short sample size making me thing this year is not entirely sustainable.



that said, he had a hell of a year, and could keep degrom from getting a cy young. so i don't think that i wouldn't want him....

[MFS62]

He's an asshole. I would have trouble rooting for someone like that. I'd rather see Stroman come back, give you 80-90% potential of Bauer without all the tabloid garbage. I usually don't bother reading that stuff. What kind of assholery are you talking about? Later

Looked it up. You're right. With all the reporters around the team (in normal years) it would be a circus.

As Gorge Carlin would have said, he's a "wackaloon".

Later

[kcmets]

What did he do, say or whatever?

[stevejrogers]

=kcmets post_id=48633 time=1602893298 user_id=53]
What did he do, say or whatever?

[ashie62]

Yes, Bauer is a twitter troll.



Baseball wise he is 100% mercenary.

[kcmets]

=stevejrogers post_id=48635 time=1602894234 user_id=57]
=kcmets post_id=48633 time=1602893298 user_id=53]
What did he do, say or whatever?

[Fman99]

=stevejrogers post_id=48635 time=1602894234 user_id=57]
=kcmets post_id=48633 time=1602893298 user_id=53]
What did he do, say or whatever?

[Benjamin Grimm]

Todd Zeile last night on Mets Hot Stove said he'd be "shocked" if Bauer didn't end up on the Mets, and Sandy has been openly discussing the possibility. But so far, the only documented offer that Bauer has received is from Edgy MD in the Francisco Lindor thread.

[Edgy MD]

You're wrong. Look at Fman's offer in the post above. Far more generous than mine ... which is disturbing, now that I think about it.

[Fman99]

That's really a tentative offer, but I'm not worried - I work from home and sit at my front window and I can tell you there's no shortage of dogs shitting in my front yard.

[Lefty Specialist]

Yeah, not a fan of Bauer. Has 'explosion' written all over him. He'd probably be half of next year's Tabloid Cover Derby and not necessarily in a good way.

[Centerfield]

I'm not sure Bauer will be worth the $30M plus he will command. Plus he's 29, so you're looking at a long term commitment. For less money, you can get Morton, Hendricks, and Hand. All for fewer years.



And on top of being a dick, you wonder if this year was a blip or whether it's sustainable.



For the first time ever, I feel like we will have people in the room capable of assessing this.

[Frayed Knot]

What Sandy has said to date is: Bauer “would be a great personality in New York ... the kind of guy that fans would endorse. We're in the entertainment business.”



Bauer's response was: “I heard Sandy's comments, and it was refreshing to hear him speak that way about me, ... In the past, a lot of the narrative surrounding me is I couldn't handle a big market,

a big media market, I was a headcase, or whatever the case is, that's kind of been the narrative. So to hear that someone as high-ranking as Sandy feels the way he feels about that is refreshing and

good to hear him speak like that. I'm certainly very appreciative of that."





I don't translate either side of that to be evidence of a love-fest. Sandy/Stevie don't want to give the impression that they're going to be scared away by someone who is a little different, nor is

it in Bauer's interest to act like he needs the perfect conditions to succeed and start shutting doors before this whole thing even starts.

[Benjamin Grimm]

http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/2020/20201112_NSD_02.jpg>

[Benjamin Grimm]

Bauer seems to be heavily wooing the Mets. Maybe it's because they're his top choice, or maybe because he wants the billionaire in on the bidding.

[Benjamin Grimm]

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1239425235457196034/xHndM2cG.jpg>



And Bauer's agent, Rachel Luba, is even prettier than Scott Boras!

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Yeah he wants the big buxx. But you know I read somewhere he can throw like 18 different pitches. Was the third overall pick in his draft (2 behind Gerritt Cole) and ahead of notables like George Springer (11) and Brandon Zimmo (13)

[LWFS]

Frayed Knot wrote: What Sandy has said to date is: Bauer “would be a great personality in New York ... the kind of guy that fans would endorse. We're in the entertainment business.” Bauer's response was: “I heard Sandy's comments, and it was refreshing to hear him speak that way about me, ... In the past, a lot of the narrative surrounding me is I couldn't handle a big market, a big media market, I was a headcase, or whatever the case is, that's kind of been the narrative. So to hear that someone as high-ranking as Sandy feels the way he feels about that is refreshing and good to hear him speak like that. I'm certainly very appreciative of that." I don't translate either side of that to be evidence of a love-fest. Sandy/Stevie don't want to give the impression that they're going to be scared away by someone who is a little different, nor is it in Bauer's interest to act like he needs the perfect conditions to succeed and start shutting doors before this whole thing even starts.

He would definitely appeal to a certain segment of New York/Mets fandom.



I actually like what he does on the field a LOT-- he's bright as hell in terms of applying analytics to tweak his own performance, and the self-analysis he does after most starts (including the ones where he gets bombed) is intriguing. I have to admit, I've watched a few of his post-start breakdown videos.



That said... he seems to be of the mindset that being smart-for-a-ballplayer leaves him with the right to be the nasty, condescending sort of smart to others online... even if you set aside the doofy Libertarian politics, he's got a nasty habit of whoops-ily sending his fanboy army to doxx/harass people who have the gall to disagree with him online. I think it's that sort of stuff that bothers me more than the particular-- if loathsome-- political slant.



I'm torn. But, yeah, if I had my druthers-- and it seems we're increasingly able to dream of very specific druthers, regardless of cost-- I'd rather not mix my Doms and Petes and Stros with my Bauers, rooting interest-wise.

[smg58]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Bauer seems to be heavily wooing the Mets. Maybe it's because they're his top choice, or maybe because he wants the billionaire in on the bidding.

I'm sure he'd like to have 30 billionaires in on the bidding.

[Benjamin Grimm]

The guys on Mets Hot Stove tonight seem to agree that Bauer should be the Mets' top free agent target. And really, after what we saw last season, a kick ass starter would probably provide the biggest impact.

[Centerfield]

It's a new world for these SNY shows. I always thought they were being used as mouthpieces to justify the Wilpon agenda. Now, it's just a bunch of guys that have no idea what's going to happen. No different than us.