Trevor Bauer returned home and rejected the Mets and on Friday agreed to make terms with the Dodgers.
Bauer, the right-hand man of the free agent, agreed to sign the reigning world champions and reject the Mets’ offer for three years, which would pay him between $ 100 and $ 110 million. The Dodgers contract for three years is worth $ 102 million and pays him $ 40 million in year 1, $ 45 million in the second, and Bauer can act thereafter.
Bauer, 30, won 5-4 with an ERA of 1.73 in the shortened 2020 campaign.
Although it’s been a busy off-season in Flushing for new owner Steve Cohen and returning team president Sandy Alderson, it will not end with the fact that they end up the top pitcher (Bauer) or position player (George Springer) in free agency.
However, the Mets got shortstop Francisco Lindor and starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco in the trade with the Indians last month. They also signed catcher James McCann to a $ 40 million four-year deal and bolstered their bull with the addition of Trevor May and Aaron Loup. Marcus Stroman and Carrasco will be the third and fourth entrees with Noah Syndergaard expected to return during the mid-season of the Tommy John operation.
The Mets also remain in talks with Jackie Bradley Jr., a free agent.
Bauer, a former UCLA star, comes up with off-field issues, especially on social media. He teased a female college student on Twitter two years ago and dug up a photo from her timeline of her drinking before her 21st birthday and mocked her 414,000 fans. Bauer tweeted about her 17 times, or others, while discussing her, over three days. He later apologized.
Bauer discussed a desire to play every four days and said his next team, willing to work with him on the experiment in part, would be part of his decision. He spent six plus seasons with the Indians before being transferred to the Reds before the 2019 deadline.