From a pitching standpoint, there’s no bigger name on the free agent market this offseason than Trevor Bauer.
The likely NL Cy Young winner is sure to cash in on his tremendous season, a campaign in which he pitched to a 1.73 ERA with a 0.795 WHIP for the Cincinnati Reds.
But could his next home be in New York?
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Bauer’s agent, Rachel Luba, joined John Jastremski on WFAN Wednesday evening, speaking about what king of deal Bauer is looking for, and whether or not pitching in New York is something the right-hander could see in his future.
“All I’m going to say is he should be, and very likely going to be the Cy Young winner. He’s looking to be fairly compensated for a (soon-to-be) 30-year-old going into free agency coming off of, hopefully, a Cy Young win,” Luba said.
“He’s a fan of big markets, in terms of building his brand. I think he’s made it very clear and he’s good at it. He’s good at finding creative ways to build a brand. He built a pretty incredible brand, especially over, I think, the last year, after being in … an entirely Ohio market. So, if you can build the brand that he has in an Ohio market, imagine what he can do in a bigger market.”
Luba said that all 30 MLB teams are in play for Bauer’s services, and even though many teams are being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, she believes there will be plenty of money spent this offseason on players like Bauer.
“They already are, I think, trying to come out and make a stance and make a point that they’re crying poor and that they have no money to spend. I don’t think that surprises anybody and I think it’s very clear what they’re doing,” Luba said. “I think when it’s all said and done, they’re going to spend money, but they’re going to try to scare players into thinking they won’t and try to get them at a discount for sure.
“I would say that the only team that doesn’t seem to have that, or that doesn’t seem to be voicing that stance is the Mets with the new owner.”
While Bauer’s play on the field speaks for itself, the pitcher is also known for being outspoken off the field, never shying away from voicing his opinion on different topics.
While some people may see Bauer’s outspoken ways as a negative, Luba believes those inside the game are fine with having a pitcher with personality, and that Bauer is helping to build the game’s national audience.
“People see that he’s intelligent, and at least in the recent couple of years he’s been more intentional about [things], he has a purpose for the things he’s said on Twitter. He has a strategy and he knows what he’s doing, and I don’t think anybody who really understands the game and industry can’t see that,” Luba said. “They totally get what he’s doing, and I think he’s great for the game. He has drawn interest in the game in an incredible way. He’s also encouraged other players to start speaking up and to have personalities, and I think we’ve seen what he’s been able to do.
“You saw a lot of it during quarantine with the negotiations and him really vocalizing his thoughts, and they were very, I think, articulated thoughts and valid thoughts and feelings. He encouraged a lot of other players to speak up and he’s always been a big promoter of personalities in the game. Ultimately, I think he has the same goals as the owners, as MLB, as players, as fans – it’s ‘grow the game.’”