Looking to cash in after a career-best season, reigning NL Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer is reportedly eyeing a deal that would make him the highest-paid pitcher in MLB. Per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, the 29-year-old is seeking a five or six-year deal in the range of $36-40 million annually. That would be a substantial raise for the former Reds and Indians ace, who carried a $17.5-million base salary in 2020.
If Heyman’s reported figures are accurate, it would seem Bauer is looking to one-up his former UCLA teammate Gerrit Cole, with whom he has a longstanding rivalry. Cole’s $36-million salary from the Yankees is the highest in MLB among starting pitchers.
Bauer is no doubt the best pitcher available in a relatively weak free-agent crop, though his exorbitant salary demands seem ambitious given the financial constraints placed on teams amid declining television viewership (October’s World Series drew abysmal ratings on Fox), revenue losses from COVID and the very real threat of a work stoppage when the CBA expires after 2021. It’s also debatable whether Bauer, who has submitted a sub-four ERA just twice since debuting in 2012, is a worthy-enough talent to warrant a deal of that magnitude.
The right-hander has recency bias working in his favor—he paced the National League with a 1.73 ERA this past season, albeit over an abbreviated, 60-game slate. But his career resume is somewhat lacking (one All-Star appearance) and Bauer, who turns 30 next month, is no spring chicken with over 1,200 innings (including the playoffs) on his MLB odometer. Bauer’s eccentric personality, which has sparked feuds with various media members, players and opposing fan-bases, could also give teams pause.
Bauer isn’t alone in waiting for his market to develop. Fellow free agents George Springer, DJ LeMahieu and J.T. Realmuto are in a similar state of flux, with no resolution in their ongoing contract pursuits expected any time soon. Bauer has been linked to the Mets and his hometown Angels, among other destinations. Though Bauer has yet to rule out any potential suitors, many including Heyman believe his asking price is too rich for Cincinnati’s blood.
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