MLB, MLB Free Agency

5 teams that must avoid signing Trevor Bauer despite pitching needs

Trevor Bauer (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Trevor Bauer is available, but these teams should avoid signing him despite needing pitching.

Trevor Bauer shouldn’t even be on the radar for Major League Baseball teams looking for pitching. The baggage and lack of remorse he’s shown make him unpalatable.

Unfortunately, fans still say their team should sign him because their club needs pitching.

The Dodgers announced they released Bauer earlier this month. Bauer hasn’t pitched in a game since June 2021. He was placed on administrative leave after allegations surfaced that he had assaulted a woman he physically and sexually assaulted on two separate occasions. Bauer said that the interactions with the woman were consensual.

Bauer served a 194-game suspension but was reinstated by the league in December.  The Dodgers were given 14 days to decide if they would add him to their 40-man roster. The team met with Bauer before their decision. They ultimately declined to bring him back due to the player’s lack of remorse.

The Dodgers owe Bauer $22.5 million in 2023; a team could pick him up for just $720,000.

But let’s be honest. It’s not just $720,000. It’s the taking on of a lot of baggage. Before the allegations, he was known to be a public relations nightmare with incidents of online bullying and alleged use of sticky substances to gain an advantage with his pitches,  amongst many other concerns.

Some teams have already expressed their disinterest in bringing Bauer into their fold. Teams like the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, and San Diego Padres have already noted they will not attempt to sign Bauer.

He has, however, been connected to the Houston Astros. This pairing seems highly unlikely due to Bauer’s vocal dislike of the organization.

Some teams should avoid the allure of the cheap price tag for Bauer and look elsewhere. Let’s discuss some of those teams.

Teams that shouldn’t sign Trevor Bauer despite pitching needs: Chicago White Sox

Lance Lynn and Lucus Giolito are the White Sox’s big arms. Adding Bauer would allow them to gain a former Cy Young award winner and the ability to move Mike Clevinger to a long relief role. But bringing Bauer into the many personalities with the Sox would be a terrible idea.

Bringing Bauer to an environment with Lynn and Giolito, Tim Anderson, Luis Robert, Yoan Moncada, and Leury Garcia would seemingly be a real clash that could create a toxic environment. Additionally, Pedro Grifol will enter his first season as a manager with the White Sox. Bauer’s addition and the environment it could create would be incredibly unfair to Grifol in his first season.

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