Dodgers: Trevor Bauer’s eye trick proved game is easy for him

We knew Trevor Bauer was trolling-obsessed, but we never expected the new Dodgers righty to show off his skills in the heat of battle.

Shows what we know.

On Saturday, Bauer deemed a spring training contest against the San Diego Padres largely unimportant, instead creating a personal challenge on an otherwise moribund day.

If it appeared Bauer was winking throughout the contest, that’s because he was; the righty pitched with one eye closed.

LA’s newest import seemed partially blinded by his own bravado.

After the game, Bauer admitted to his antics — which is much easier to do after you’ve thrown three two-hit shutout innings with a trio of strikeouts.

Bauer’s always been known for his unique training methods, but we never thought one would involve making a mockery of a sanctioned spring training game.

Only kidding — we think? We’re actually not sure if we should be upset by this.

But regardless of the feelings Bauer evoked in you on Saturday, you have to admit that this guy is uniquely locked in right now.

What can Trevor Bauer bring to the Los Angeles Dodgers?

With the righty on the verge of receiving the game’s largest annual pitching contract, many tried to disparage his accomplishments in the shortened 2020 season. After all, wasn’t that the only year in which he’d really put things together since his 2017 breakout? If we could glorify his small-sample-size ’20 campaign, why couldn’t we also impugn his 6.39 second-half ERA in Cincinnati in 2019?

The counter-argument? Bauer snapped into his potential in 2020, as evidenced by how completely in control he was on the mound every time he appeared. He wasn’t hanging on by a thread or getting by on guile; he was staring any and every opposing hitter directly in the eye, challenging them, and coming out on top.

That type of earned confidence on the mound doesn’t simply disappear overnight.

Bauer upped the ante even further by ruining his depth perception all by himself this weekend. It simply didn’t matter.

https://twitter.com/BauerOutage/status/1368383874435215361?s=20

Expect Bauer to craft many more boast-worthy highlights this year, whether it takes more self-inflicted physical impairments to get there or not.

Maybe close both eyes next time? The eye’s the limit for this guy.

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