On Monday, SNY confirmed continued discussions between the New York Mets and free-agent right-hander Trevor Bauer, noting the Mets “continue to be engaged” on the 30-year-old but that “an agreement is not close” due to the involvement of other interested ballclubs.
Earlier in the day, Mike Mayer of Metsmerized reported that the Cincinnati Reds “would still like to bring Bauer back”, but would need to create payroll flexibility in order accommodate his expected $30 million-plus AAV deal.
Bauer won the 2020 National League Cy Young Award after posting an NL-best 1.73 ERA (2.88 FIP) with 100 strikeouts, 17 walks, and an MLB-best 0.79 WHIP over 11 starts for the Reds.
Since 2018, the UCLA product’s 3.18 ERA is good for 11th in baseball and his 11.9 wins above replacement accrued over that span rank sixth.
We reported last week that the Mets had reached out to the Reds regarding right-handed starter Sonny Gray and power-hitting third baseman Eugenio Suarez recently.
If traded, between the two, Cincinnati would shed approximately $21.5 million from their 2021 payroll, clearing more than enough space to make a healthy bid for Bauer’s services.
Clearly, there are many moving parts in this equation. We will keep you posted with new information as it breaks.
