Currently, Trevor Bauer is a free agent in the MLB. The 2020 Cy Young Award winner, however, has not pitched in the Majors since 2021, as he is in a legal battle over allegations of sexual assault.
MLB then suspended him for 324 games, a suspension which was reduced to 194 games.
Last year, Bauer launched in Japan, where it wasn't necessarily easy. And with all the baggage he carries on a personal level, we can understand teams being afraid to get along with him.
But let's remember that three years ago, the song was completely different. At the time, Bauer had just won the Cy Young and was coveted by big markets, including the Dodgers and Mets.
In the end, he came to terms with the Dodgers…but the Mets were in the race. Ultimately erroneous information even said that he had an agreement with the Mets.
But at the time, it seemed that internally, not everyone in the Mets organization was on the same page. In fact, Mets GM at the time, Zack Scott, says he wanted nothing to do with signing Bauer.
At least that's what he said via his X account (formerly Twitter).
Scott says it wasn't a question of talent, and between the lines one can understand that it was a question on a more personal level. He didn't want to associate with such a person.
But in the end, he was almost forced to do it by people higher up than him. He doesn't want to throw the people in question under the bus, but clearly the Mets' pursuit of Bauer's services wasn't his decision.
At the same time, maybe it's a little easier for him to say this knowing everything that happened. Would he have had the same speech if Bauer had been dominant in the MLB for three years?
That said, it's still interesting to understand how the day-to-day life of a CEO works, and Scott tries to inform the public on various topics at this level. It's a good account to follow, for those who would like to know more about it.
In 2023, however, Scott's opinion appears to be quite widespread across MLB. I have the impression that Bauer will have difficulty finding work in the Majors this season, but we will see in the coming weeks if he ends up obtaining a contract with one of the 30 teams on the circuit.
