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Dodgers: 3 reasons the stars are aligning for Trevor Bauer to join LAD in 2021

By Jason Reed |
(Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)
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Trevor Bauer, the likely 2020 National League Cy Young winner, could join the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021.

Pitching has been the backbone of the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ success over the last eight seasons. That was evident on Thursday night, when Clayton Kershaw turned back the clock, dialed up a 13-strikeout performance, and took the first step towards changing his career narrative.

The rest of the pitching staff is in a great position for this playoff run and the future. Walker Buehler is a Cy Young-like talent. Dustin May is going to be a Rookie of the Year finalist and has nasty stuff. Tony Gonsolin has a career 2.60 ERA in 86.2 big-league innings.

Heck, the team even has Julio Urias, who just delivered three scoreless innings in relief against the Milwaukee Brewers and was once the highest-touted southpaw prospect in baseball. Buehler, May, Gonsolin and Urias are all 26 or younger.

That won’t stop the Dodgers from improving the starting rotation for next season, though, and there’s a notable name that’s going to be on the market: Trevor Bauer.

Bauer is a free agent after a career season that will likely earn him the National League Cy Young award. It might seem like Bauer in Dodger Blue is a pipe dream, however, there are legitimate signs that are pointing Bauer towards Chavez Ravine.

All the stars are aligning for Bauer to pitch alongside the best, young rotation in baseball in 2021. Let’s break down the overwhelming evidence in the Dodgers’ favor.

(Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Dodgers
(Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Dodgers /

Trevor Bauer has already expressed interest in joining the Dodgers.

Typically, we head into hot stove season with more speculation than cold hard facts. We have some reports here and there about what teams/destinations certain free agents prefer, but it’s rarely concrete.

For example, when Manny Machado was a free agent, the narrative was that he wanted to go back to the East Coast and play shortstop. Neither of those things happened, as Machado is now the third baseman of the San Diego Padres.

There’s a difference here. Bauer has, quite literally, expressed his interest in coming home one day and playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers. In a video posted on his YouTube Channel in March, Bauer said:

“I look forward to playing for the Dodgers one day,” Bauer told a fan on his Fan Fridays YouTube show. “I grew up out in Valencia, so I’d love to come home.”

He didn’t say “It would be cool to be a Dodger one day.” He said, “I look forward to playing for the Dodgers one day.”

If all goes as planned, Bauer is going to suit up for the Dodgers at one point in his career. But after signing Mookie Betts to a massive 12-year extension and with contracts for Walker Buehler, Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, and others looming, can they even afford Bauer?

Ironically, the answer again is yes.

Dave Roberts – Andrew Friedman – Los Angeles Dodgers (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Dave Roberts – Andrew Friedman – Los Angeles Dodgers (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

TBauer and the Dodgers think alike with short-term contracts.

The Dodgers just gave Mookie Betts the longest and largest contract in franchise history that will pay him until 2040, so the narrative that the team only wants to sign short-term contracts is a bit unfair. It depends on the player and it depends on the situation.

It does not make sense to sign a player to a long-term deal if the Dodgers think they are going to heavily regress down the line. They obviously think differently with Betts, plus, the team was smart and deferred some of the money to lessen the blow later down the road.

Even though Bauer is great, it does not make sense to sign him to a contract close to Gerrit Cole’s because of the players they already have and want to keep around for the long haul. However, Bauer is not going to be asking for that kind of contract, which is right up the Dodgers’ alley.

Bauer has said in the past that he plans on only signing one-year contracts for the rest of his career. That might not turn out to be 100% accurate, but perhaps he’ll want a shorter-term deal with a contender that allows him to explore his options again when he’s still pitching well.

The Dodgers infamously offered Bryce Harper a four-year contract with a $45 million AAV, so they’re clearly proponents of that line of thinking. That is what makes this a great fit. The Dodgers could sign Bauer to a  hefty one-year year contract with a big player option for the 2022 season (just to give Bauer that flexibility).

According to Spotrac, the Dodgers will be $92 million under the luxury tax threshold for 2021, so giving Bauer a gigantic one- or two-year deal can easily work from a financial perspective.

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

There are two reasons why Bauer to the Dodgers in 2021 makes the most sense.

So we’ve established that Bauer eventually wants to be a Dodger and that the financial desires match. That raises one last question: why 2021 instead of 2022 or 2023 or 2024?

1. The Dodgers provide Bauer his best destination to win the World Series

The Dodgers are going to be the favorites to win the World Series in 2021 even without Bauer. No matter what happens this postseason, the Dodgers are still going to be the most talented team top-to-bottom heading into next year.

Bauer obviously increases those odds. If they win in 2020 then a Bauer addition would have everyone talking about a potential back-to-back champion. If they don’t win in 2020, then Bauer could be viewed as that final piece for a 2021 World Series push.

Regardless, the Dodgers are his best bet. Sure, the San Diego Padres are an intriguing option and could be in the mix, but there really aren’t a ton of other contenders that seem like a fit. We’ve heard about the Yankees-Gerrit Cole conflict. He’s not going to the Astros, or a team like the Angels. The A’s and Rays can’t afford him. The White Sox could make sense, but that seems to be about it.

Oh, and apparently the Atlanta Braves won’t be an option now either … at least that’s what we think after reading between the lines.

2. This could be his only chance to pitch alongside Clayton Kershaw

Kershaw is a free agent after the 2021 season. This doesn’t mean it’s a guarantee he leaves the Dodgers, but the door is likely open if he wants to go play close to home in Texas.

It sounds trivial, but if I’m Bauer and I’m intent on only signing one-year deals, I’m taking my chance to pitch alongside Kershaw, the best pitcher of this generation, while he’s still in All-Star form.

Bauer is a really smart guy and could probably learn some things from Kershaw that help him for the rest of his career. Sure, he could be a Dodger in the future beyond 2021, but then he doesn’t get that chance to pitch alongside one of the best to ever do it.

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