The MLB world went a little wild this weekend as Trevor Bauer’s free agency came to an end. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner was reported to be heavily involved with the New York Mets, and they appeared to be the front runners.
They were the front runners all the way up until Bauer ended up signing with the Dodgers. Bauer’s team didn’t help clear up any of the confusion in the middle of negotiations when they accidentally released gear on his website featuring him in Mets uniform. They also went live with an auction for a signed Mets hat while the two teams were battling it out for him.
In the end, the Dodgers landed Bauer on a massive deal. The contract is for 3 years and features an opt-out after the first 2 years. The total contract could be worth $102 million with $40 million coming to him in 2021.
The Dodgers will have to pay Bauer $45 million in 2022 should he decide to keep the contract. Given the size of that 1 year, it seems unlikely that he would choose to opt-out of that part of the deal. But on the flip side, he would have to have 2 very bad years for him to even consider not opting out of year 3. Los Angeles structured it that way to keep his annual average down to just $34 million.
Bauer joins a starting rotation that already features two Cy Young Award winners. Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Bauer, and David Price will headline one of the best rotations in all of MLB heading into the 2021 season. Could this be the first time a team goes back-to-back since the Yankees did it?
All of that news and more, this week in MLB! Check back weekly with GMS Sports for the most up-to-date information on your favorite sports.
