Mets throwers and catchers report to spring training in less than two weeks, and by Friday afternoon, team officials need to know if Trevor Bauer will be among the contestants.
Bait right-hander Rachel Luba announced on Twitter on Thursday that Bauer had limited his selections to two teams – with all indications pointing to the Mets and Dodgers as finalists.
According to an industry source, Bauer, the leading jug on the market with free agencies, received an offer from the Mets about three weeks ago. The belief in the industry was that Bauer would choose the Mets if the offers were close, because he had a desire to grow his personal brand in the largest possible market.
Bauer tried to become baseball’s highest paid pitcher in terms of average annual value, but Mets’ initial offer to him was, according to the source, less than the $ 36 million a year that Gerrit Cole receives from the Yankees. The offer is expected to fall within the range of three to four years (north of $ 30 million per year) and include at least one opt-out.
Last season, the 30-year-old Bauer won the National Young Cy Young Award after going 5-4 with an ERA of 1.73 in 11 starts for the Reds. His addition would give the Mets a dynamic 1-2 punch on top of their rotation, with Jacob deGrom (who won the Cy Young Award in 2018 and ’19) as the other component.
The Mets have already enjoyed a fruitful winter under new owner Steve Cohen, with the trade picking up Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco from Cleveland. Bauer’s addition would unite three components of the 2016 Indians’ World Series.
James McCann and Trevor May, who both signed on as free agents, are the Mets’ other important additions this winter. That does not include Marcus Stroman, who has accepted the Mets’ qualifying offer to return for 2021.
The Mets rotation to start the season would possibly be deGrom, Bauer, Carrasco, Stroman and David Peterson. By June, the team hopes Noah Syndergaard of Tommy John Rehabilitation will return to provide another high-octane arm.
Other rotation options include Joey Lucchesi and Jordan Yamamoto, both of whom have arrived in the trade and have remaining minor league options.
Wherever he lands, Bauer’s words will be examined after several incidents of bullying on social media. Most importantly, he harassed a female student on Twitter two years ago and later apologized. Bauer’s responses to the woman included digging up a photo from her timeline of her drinking before her 21st birthday, which mocked her 414,000 followers. Bauer tweeted 17 times about the woman or others while discussing her over three days.
“I have been made aware that some interactions associated with a particular Twitter exchange could be adversely affected,” Bauer said in a recent statement. ‘It was not my intention. I will handle the responsibility of my public platform more responsibly in the future. ”
Bauer’s addition would bring the Mets to a higher or higher level than the $ 210 million luxury tax threshold. If they exceed the figure, they pay a 20 percent fine on every dollar spent over $ 210 million.
But even with Bauer, the Mets may not be done with the spending because they are looking for potential upgrades in midfield and on the third base.
If the Mets do not sign Bauer, they could turn to a mid-turn option like Jake Odorizzi or James Paxton.