Mets players and captains show up for spring training in less than two weeks, and by Friday afternoon, team officials should know if Trevor Bauer will be among those participating.
Ace law enforcement agent Rachel Luba announced on Twitter on Thursday that Bauer had restricted his choices to two teams – all indications indicating the Mets and Dodgers as finalists.
Bauer, the best starting player on the market, received an offer from the Mets about three weeks ago, according to an industry source. The belief in the industry was that if the offers are close, Bauer will choose Mets because it wants to develop its personal brand in the largest possible market.
Bauer tried to become the highest paid baseball player in terms of average annual value, but the Mets’ initial offer was not $ 36 million a year that Gerrit Cole receives from the Yankees, according to a sources. The offer was expected to run for three to four years (north of $ 30 million a year) and include at least one waiver.
Last season, the 30-year-old Bauer won the Cy Young Award in the National League, after going 5-4 with an ERA 1.73 in 11 starts for the tomatoes. His addition would give the Mets a 1-2 dynamic punch at the top of their rotation, with Jacob deGrom (who won the Cy Young Award in 2018 and ’19) as another component.
The Mets have already enjoyed a fruitful winter under new owner Steve Cohen, with the trade bringing Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco from Cleveland. Bauer’s addition would bring together three components of the Indians’ World Series, released in 2016.
James McCann and Trevor May, both signed as free agents, are the Mets’ other significant additions this winter. This does not include Marcus Stroman, who accepted the Mets’ qualification offer to return for 2021.
The Mets rotation to start the season would be deGrom, Bauer, Carrasco, Stroman and David Peterson. By June, the team hopes Noah Syndergaard will return from Tommy John’s surgical rehabilitation to provide another high-octane arm.
Other rotation possibilities include Joey Lucchesi and Jordan Yamamoto, both of whom have arrived in transactions and still have minor league options.
Wherever he lands, Bauer’s words will be examined following several incidents of aggression on social media. In particular, he harassed a student on Twitter two years ago and later apologized. Bauer’s responses to the woman included digging up a photograph of her drinking chronology before she turned 21, ridiculing her 414,000 followers. Bauer tweeted the woman or others 17 times while discussing her for three days.
“I was aware that some of the interactions related to a certain Twitter exchange could have a negative impact,” Bauer said in a recent statement. “It simply came to our notice then. I will exercise the responsibility of my public platform more responsibly in the future. ”
The addition of Bauer would bring the Mets just above or above the $ 210 million luxury tax threshold. If they exceed the figure, they will pay a 20% penalty for every dollar spent over $ 210 million.
But even with Bauer, the Mets may not have finished spending, as they are looking for potential upgrades in midfield and third base.
If the Mets don’t sign Bauer, they could pivot toward a midfield option, such as Jake Odorizzi or James Paxton.