Dodgers Way
FanSided

Dodgers sign Trevor Bauer in absolute stunner after Mets flirtation

ByAdam Weinrib|
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 07: Trevor Bauer #27 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the third inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on August 07, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 07: Trevor Bauer #27 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches in the third inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on August 07, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Excuse us, what?! Trevor Bauer is headed to the Dodgers. The World Series champions just got better.

On Thursday night, it appeared Trevor Bauer was inches away from joining the New York Mets. The ball was at the one-yard line.

On Friday afternoon, the Mets — or Bauer — decided to hurl it Malcolm Butler’s way.

Somehow, at the bottom of the pile, the World Champion Dodgers came away with the ball and will be signing Bauer, improving their rotation exponentially while adding one of the most controversial players in the modern game.

Never one to shy away from a spectacle, Bauer’s misbehavior will now be under the microscope in Hollywood.

Shortly after world leaked, Bauer released the video we ALL knew was coming — though he has to be furious at Jon Heyman for going forth with the information first.

The “spectacle” of Bauer’s free agency is finally over. Now, all that’s left is for him to replicate his record-setting spin rate for a full season under the bright lights of Los Angeles.

After the dust settles, Bauer will be paid more than any pitcher in MLB history for the first two years of his deal, both of which come with opt-outs once October wraps.

It’s natural to have a difference of opinion regarding the way Bauer carries himself and the brand he’s attempting to create — goodness knows we certainly do.

But talent is talent, and that’s always been a question that dogged this process, too.

Bauer demanded a record-setting AAV at times throughout this process, reportedly, and the Dodgers always pledged to keep him on a short leash, re-upping the strategy they’ve tried in years past with Zack Greinke.

Though the eye-popping recent numbers (without jeering road fans) are impressive, there isn’t a lot of consistency in the 30-year-old Bauer’s body of work.

So, what’s the real Bauer? 5-4, 1.73 ERA, 100 Ks in 73 innings from last year? Or is it the 4.48 mark he carried in the previous season, which ballooned to 6.39 after the trade deadline in Cincinnati?

The Dodgers don’t need him to be comfortable by Opening Day. But when the Padres arrive in Hollywood or the NLCS begins, he’d better be operating full-tilt. If they’re breaking the bank for the righty, he needs to ground himself.

Home/LA Dodgers News

Schedule