Let's talk about Trevor Bauer

[smg58]

=batmagadanleadoff post_id=54674 time=1611462382 user_id=68]
I'll tell you this much, the Realmuto whiff never made much sense to me, especially the line that they wouldn't have been able to trade for Lindor if they had signed Realmuto instead of McCann.

[nymr83]

=bmfc1 post_id=54672 time=1611459207 user_id=73]
smg58 makes a salient point: if Bauer then why not Realmuto or Springer? ... unless Bauer's price has gone way down and now he's too good to pass up, any problems notwithstanding.

[bmfc1]

The previous two comments are logical and can be read together: they didn't want to be committed to Realmuto long-term when Alvarez might be ready during that period; they didn't feel that Springer would be worth a 6-year deal at his age; and, perhaps that Bauer's shorter contract (3 or 4 years?) is a good value.

[nymr83]

Right. I feel very strongly that with the richest owner in the sport the Mets shouldnt need to be so concerned with overpaying this year or even next year for performance. The bigger concern would be a long term albatross contract.

[batmagadanleadoff]

=bmfc1 post_id=54684 time=1611528447 user_id=73]
The previous two comments are logical and can be read together: they didn't want to be committed to Realmuto long-term when Alvarez might be ready during that period;

Edited January 24, 2021 by Guest

[Edgy MD]

The Mets play in Mexico City?

[batmagadanleadoff]

Mexico's in Central America as far as I'm concerned. So is Madagascar.

[batmagadanleadoff]

=smg58 post_id=54680 time=1611512702 user_id=62]
=batmagadanleadoff post_id=54674 time=1611462382 user_id=68]
I'll tell you this much, the Realmuto whiff never made much sense to me, especially the line that they wouldn't have been able to trade for Lindor if they had signed Realmuto instead of McCann.

Edited January 24, 2021 by Guest

[ashie62]

Isn't is as simple as the Mets got McCann to be their primary catcher and move on?

[batmagadanleadoff]

=ashie62 post_id=54699 time=1611569078 user_id=90]
Isn't is as simple as the Mets got McCann to be their primary catcher and move on?

[MFS62]

Just heard on WFAN that the Mets have put a short term deal on the table for Bauer. It has a higher annual amount than Cole (his is around $33 million per year), but the number of years was not announced.

Later

[Centerfield]

It's becoming apparent that Sandy and I don't see eye to eye at all. Of all the big free agents, Bauer would have been last on my list. But it seems like this is the one where he's being the most aggressive.



I mean, if I were going to blow by the tax, then it's Springer, Hand and maybe Sugano.



Even if Bauer signs we still need a CF and a lefty reliever. I just don't get it.

[RealityChuck]

=MFS62 post_id=54796 time=1611675536 user_id=60]
Just heard on WFAN that the Mets have put a short term deal on the table for Bauer. It has a higher annual amount than Cole (his is around $33 million per year), but the number of years was not announced.

Later

[Benjamin Grimm]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/mets/2021/01/26/trevor-bauer-mets-offer-contract/4258036001/Mets offer to free agent pitcher Trevor Bauer would approach record-setting average annual contract

It's unknown whether Bauer has any other formal offers, but it's unlikely any team has made a higher bid, establishing the Mets as the clear favorites to land baseball's top free-agent pitcher.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1354087673288417291https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1354087673288417291

[Fman99]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/mets/2021/01/26/trevor-bauer-mets-offer-contract/4258036001/Mets offer to free agent pitcher Trevor Bauer would approach record-setting average annual contract It's unknown whether Bauer has any other formal offers, but it's unlikely any team has made a higher bid, establishing the Mets as the clear favorites to land baseball's top free-agent pitcher.

This almost makes it seem more palatable - I don't think the Metsies are going 10 years $40 mil per. Highest ever average annual salary is probably over a very short (2-3 year) period. That's my guess.

[LWFS]

Bauer has TENDED to stick to one-year deals-- presumably, with a higher AAV-- for https://www.redlegnation.com/2020/04/08/reds-pitcher-trevor-bauer-on-why-hes-only-signing-1-year-deals/a few reasons.

[bLOCKQUOTE]“I want to be able to be happy playing the game that I love. So I want to end up in situations that make me happy and make me fulfilled. That can be situations like the Reds have, where there's just a really great group of people that just make me fulfilled as a person,” said Bauer.

If the quote stopped there it would be great news to the organization, and probably to many fans who would like to see him stick around in the rotation for a while longer. But the quote didn't end there.

“That can be situations like jumping into a team that's going to go on a playoff run and hopefully win a World Series. That can be a team that would let me pitch every 4th day or treats me with respect in a way that no other team has. Or whatever the case is – there's certain things that are more important to me than money. And I want to be able to control where I play and when and the situations I'm in so that as I change too, and things become more important to me, or less important to me as I evolve that I can tailor fit my situation to reflect that.”

Winning certainly seems important to Bauer, as it is for nearly every high-level athlete. “I want to be on a contender every year because I love competing at the highest level and the highest level is the World Series,” he said. “So I want to have a chance to go to the World Series every single year. And the way baseball is currently structured, there's not many teams that go into spring training trying to win the World Series that year.”[/bLOCKQUOTE]

It's quite something to see someone slowly 24-and-1 himself, innit?

[Benjamin Grimm]

As long as he doesn't ask for a tent...

[nymr83]

Bauer has TENDED to stick to one-year deals-- presumably, with a higher AAV-- for https://www.redlegnation.com/2020/04/08/reds-pitcher-trevor-bauer-on-why-hes-only-signing-1-year-deals/a few reasons. [bLOCKQUOTE]“I want to be able to be happy playing the game that I love. So I want to end up in situations that make me happy and make me fulfilled. That can be situations like the Reds have, where there's just a really great group of people that just make me fulfilled as a person,” said Bauer. If the quote stopped there it would be great news to the organization, and probably to many fans who would like to see him stick around in the rotation for a while longer. But the quote didn't end there. “That can be situations like jumping into a team that's going to go on a playoff run and hopefully win a World Series. That can be a team that would let me pitch every 4th day or treats me with respect in a way that no other team has. Or whatever the case is – there's certain things that are more important to me than money. And I want to be able to control where I play and when and the situations I'm in so that as I change too, and things become more important to me, or less important to me as I evolve that I can tailor fit my situation to reflect that.” Winning certainly seems important to Bauer, as it is for nearly every high-level athlete. “I want to be on a contender every year because I love competing at the highest level and the highest level is the World Series,” he said. “So I want to have a chance to go to the World Series every single year. And the way baseball is currently structured, there's not many teams that go into spring training trying to win the World Series that year.”[/bLOCKQUOTE] It's quite something to see someone slowly 24-and-1 himself, innit?

What exactly is wrong with these quotes? He wants to win, he wants to decide where he works - its not like he agreed to a 5 year deal and then made a stink to get traded (Hi Deshaun!), if he prefers to look for the best deal every year and ignore the injury risk to himself, cool! i'd be much happier if the Mets signed him SHORT term anyway!

[smg58]

Say the Mets get half a year of 4.00 ERA from Lucchesi and half a year of 3.20 ERA from Syndergaard. Is Bauer worth $33M more than that?



I'm concerned that the Mets were told to spend to the luxury tax threshold, then didn't pull the trigger on multiple free agents, and are now determined to get somebody with the money they still have even if he's not the best fit.

[LWFS]

Bauer has TENDED to stick to one-year deals-- presumably, with a higher AAV-- for https://www.redlegnation.com/2020/04/08/reds-pitcher-trevor-bauer-on-why-hes-only-signing-1-year-deals/a few reasons. [bLOCKQUOTE]“I want to be able to be happy playing the game that I love. So I want to end up in situations that make me happy and make me fulfilled. That can be situations like the Reds have, where there's just a really great group of people that just make me fulfilled as a person,” said Bauer. If the quote stopped there it would be great news to the organization, and probably to many fans who would like to see him stick around in the rotation for a while longer. But the quote didn't end there. “That can be situations like jumping into a team that's going to go on a playoff run and hopefully win a World Series. That can be a team that would let me pitch every 4th day or treats me with respect in a way that no other team has. Or whatever the case is – there's certain things that are more important to me than money. And I want to be able to control where I play and when and the situations I'm in so that as I change too, and things become more important to me, or less important to me as I evolve that I can tailor fit my situation to reflect that.” Winning certainly seems important to Bauer, as it is for nearly every high-level athlete. “I want to be on a contender every year because I love competing at the highest level and the highest level is the World Series,” he said. “So I want to have a chance to go to the World Series every single year. And the way baseball is currently structured, there's not many teams that go into spring training trying to win the World Series that year.”[/bLOCKQUOTE] It's quite something to see someone slowly 24-and-1 himself, innit? What exactly is wrong with these quotes? He wants to win, he wants to decide where he works - its not like he agreed to a 5 year deal and then made a stink to get traded (Hi Deshaun!), if he prefers to look for the best deal every year and ignore the injury risk to himself, cool! i'd be much happier if the Mets signed him SHORT term anyway!

Nothing's objectively wrong with them, I suppose. But it literally sets him apart from his teammates and team, as someone who ,as a rule (as THE rule), will not commit to an organization.

[Edgy MD]

The subtext of a guy trying to brag about "wanting to win" is a self-centered willingness to detach himself from and/or dump any bunch of losers that isn't getting it done at the time.



It's making a virtue of front-running. You want the guy who is in the grind with you whether things are going well or not.



Similarly, the subtext of demanding "respect in a way that no other team has" is demanding to be indulged in ways other players do not.



When a guy says "I want to be able to control where I play and when and the situations I'm in so that as I change too, and things become more important to me, or less important to me as I evolve that I can tailor fit my situation to reflect that," as a reader, I see only three ways to control what he wants to control:



1) Play better.

2) Help your teammates play better.

3) Engineer yourself onto a team in a better position in the standings.



It's more honorable to do the first two of these. For a guy to openly state how important it is for him to have the leverage to do the third strikes me as remarkably small.



I know no small amount of jocks follow this line of thinking to one extent or another. Maybe we all do. But it's not everybody who is 100% in on the mercenary program and open about it.

[MFS62]

My theory:

I think (hope) this is all about the back pages of the papers.

The Mets are signing Bauer and the Jets are getting Watson.

Both teams don't want to share the back pages if the deals are announced on the same day, so they're playing chicken to let the other team announce their blockbuster first.



I can dream, can't I?

Later

[nymr83]

It would be Bauer. At the end of the day, New York is a baseball town.

[A Boy Named Seo]

Bauer's agent:

[Benjamin Grimm]

CBS News reporting that the two teams are the Mets and the Dodgers, and Jon Heyman says that the Mets are expecting a decision within the next 24 hours.

[Benjamin Grimm]

[Edgy MD]

Eddie Coleman reports that it's closey-close, with an opt-out option after one year.

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

He's a Southern California guy, Dodgers have a playoff run and are the World Champs. Huge media market. If the money is close, I can sure see him going there. I'd love to know if there is contract language about keeping his social media stuff under control.

[smg58]

One team will win by losing.