It's mid-January, and Trevor Bauer is still a free agent.
Bauer, who won the Cy Young award last season, is the best starting pitcher remaining on the market.
With the hot stove heating up, two teams have reportedly emerged as the front-runners to land the 30-year old right-hander, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, the New York Mets and Los Angeles Angels :
“Mets team president Sandy Alderson made it clear early in the winter that he likes Bauer…even after signing Marcus Stroman, James McCann and Trevor May for a combined $75 million.”
“As for the Angels, they have been the most logical landing spot for Trevor Bauer all along, and nothing that has happened this offseason has changed that. They have been in search of a No. 1 starter for years, trying to build a championship-level rotation to help Mike Trout get back to the postseason.”
Trevor Bauer is a Southern California native who pitched at UCLA. The Los Angeles Dodgers are “monitoring” the Bauer situation, too, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The Los Angeles Dodgers are monitoring the market for right-hander Trevor Bauer and could be a player depending on the price, sources tell ESPN. Focus for the Dodgers now remains on a right-handed infield bat, but Bauer and the Dodgers remain a possibility as his market develops.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 20, 2021
The Mets have had as busy of an offseason as any team in baseball. In October, the franchise was purchased by mega-billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Cohen, who has quickly sought to turn the beleaguered organization into a stable contender. Cohen made his first major splash earlier this month, acquiring star shortstop Francisco Lindor and RHP Carlos Carrasco from the Cleveland Indians. Trevor Bauer would simply top it off for the Mets as well.
Cohen also fired general manager Jared Porter this week after an ESPN report was published detailing his sexual harassment of a female reporter via explicit text messages while working for the Chicago Cubs in 2016.
The Mets were reportedly in the running for All-Star outfielder George Springer, who ended up signing with the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday for $150 million over six years. Feinsand noted that the Jays remain in the running for Bauer, too.
New York has been linked to catcher J.T. Realmuto, who may be the most coveted position player left on the market.
Trevor Bauer led the National League with a 1.73 ERA and .795 WHIP in 2020.
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