After some squirming about not wanting to exceed the luxury tax, and some chatter that it would be pretty tone deaf to bring in a guy who harassed women on social media after the Jared Porter sexual harassment debacle, the New York Mets might just be saying eff it.
That’s the rumor here anyway, including a record-setting offer:
NY #Mets emerge as favorites for free agent pitcher Trevor Bauer with record-setting average annual contract offer. https://t.co/bWPc0UoFpi
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 26, 2021
Let’s be clear real quick on the record part: it’s been rumored that Bauer wants to break Gerrit Cole’s $36 million AAV record (there’s a history there between the two former UCLA pitchers, and also Bauer is a guy who wants to move the pay scale forward). So it’s not surprising that it would be pitched to him as an enticement to sign.
HOWEVA, if he’s actually getting a record AAV offer on his track record … it’s gotta be for, what, like two or three years, tops? It’s just impossible for me to imagine a team committing that level of AAV to Bauer, given his extreme inconsistency, and relatively short bursts of elite performance.
I will be fascinated to see how this actually plays out, if this rumor is accurate. Of course, if it’s not accurate, you can bet Bauer and his equally-socially-engaged agent, Rachel Luba, will respond on Twitter momentarily.
UPDATE: Nothing from Bauer or Luba yet, but Jon Heyman chimes in:
Mets have not made Trevor Bauer an offer that would give him the highest average salary in history. They do appear to have some interest however.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 26, 2021
If Bauer and Luba stay silent, however, I’m going to believe Nightengale’s report. Also, there’s this to keep in mind:
"Offer" is often semantics, by the way. So the Mets can deny Nightengale's report while also being clear about their framework and intention in regard to a Bauer deal.
— D.J. Short (@djshort) January 26, 2021
UPDATE 2: Nightengale now disputes his own report, which, sigh.