Just as we all knew he would, Trevor Bauer has milked his free agency for every last drop of content. Seemingly in no hurry to sign, the reigning NL Cy Young winner has been leaving a breadcrumb trail of clues, encouraging his legion of social media followers to guess where he might land. Despite the appearance of transparency, Bauer and his agent Rachel Luba have been careful not to show too many of their cards, neither confirming nor denying reports of the right-hander’s salary demands ($36-40 million annually, according to Jon Heyman) and whether he’d consider coming back to Cincinnati (Heyman says don’t count on it).
In teasing a new YouTube vlog, Bauer supplied his juiciest scoop yet, confirming he had a meeting on the books with Toronto. “I got a call with the Blue Jays at six. Going to check in with them, talk to their pitching coach, their high-performance coach and all them and see what they have to offer,” said Bauer, outlining his schedule in a video posted Thursday. “So that’s moving forward.” The Blue Jays are known to be interested in former Astros outfielder George Springer, though if that falls through (he’s also being pursued by the Mets), Bauer could become a more viable option.
While admiring a San Diego sunset, Bauer also hinted he wouldn’t mind spending a chunk of his career there, though the 29-year-old quickly countered by lamenting California’s high taxes. “I love the weather. It’s relaxed, scenic. I could spend time in San Diego, for sure. The taxes suck though.” Given his ties to the area (he’s a Santa Clarita native) and the team’s “World Series or bust” mandate evidenced by recent trades for Blake Snell and Yu Darvish, the Padres would seem to be an ideal fit for Bauer, assuming the tax burden of being a San Diego resident isn’t a deal-breaker.
Who knows what Bauer gleaned from his meeting with Toronto or if the Padres are even remotely interested in him. Knowing Bauer, this could all be an elaborative ruse, a shrewd way to manufacture leverage in a stagnant market. However you interpret it, the Winter of Trevor is just beginning, so strap in.
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