The New York Mets have been as active as any team in baseball this offseason and they may not be done. The Mets recently made a contract offer to free agent right-hander Trevor Bauer that would make him one the highest paid players in the game, reports USA Today's Bob Nightengale. It would be a short-term deal with a large average annual salary, but it would not eclipse Gerrit Cole's AAV of $36 million from the nine-year deal he signed with the Yankees last winter, per MLB Network's Jon Heyman.
At one point Bauer said he would only sign one-year contracts as a free agent, though he walked back those comments earlier this offseason, and said he's open to all offers. Here are the largest average annual contract values in baseball history:
- Gerrit Cole, Yankees: $36 million
- Mike Trout, Angels: $35.5 million
- Anthony Rendon, Angels: $35 million
- Stephen Strasburg, Nationals: $35 million
- Justin Verlander, Astros: $33 million
Eight other players have a contract worth at least $30 million annually, including only four other pitchers (Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw, David Price, Max Scherzer).
Nightengale says "one team official cautioned that the Mets still are evaluating all aspects of Bauer's strong social media presence." Bauer is very active on social media and several women have said they felt harassed both by Bauer himself and his fans within the last few years. At one point Bauer implied MLB censored his social media accounts.
"I have always tried to be an open book and appreciate that social media gives me a platform to have an open dialogue with fans and the greater public," Bauer said in a statement to The Athletic last week. "I don't shy away from confrontation and am often quick to defend myself, but I am by no means a bully and I take great offense to my character being called into question. I understand what comes with having a following on social media but I have never asked for nor do I condone anyone making threats or lewd comments on my behalf."
The Mets fired GM Jared Porter last week, after it was revealed he harassed a female reporter in 2016, including sending her unsolicited sexually explicit images. "In my initial press conference I spoke about the importance of integrity and I meant it. There should be zero tolerance for this type of behavior," owner Steve Cohen said when announcing Porter had been fired.
Bauer, 30, threw 73 innings with a 1.73 ERA and 100 strikeouts en route to the NL Cy Young award last season. Our R.J. Anderson ranked him the No. 1 starter on the free agent market and the No. 3 player overall. Here is our write-up on Bauer as a free agent:
Heading into the 2020 season, Bauer's career numbers held an uncanny resemblance to those posted by A.J. Burnett through the same period of his career. He created separation this season, amassing a 1.73 ERA and a 5.88 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 11 starts and 73 innings. Bauer has long had the stuff and, according to his press clippings, the intelligence to be a frontline starter. He's now put together the results supporting that notion in two of the past three seasons. Can he keep it up? That's one of a few questions teams will have to answer, beginning with how he improved his spin rate just a few years after implying it was possible only through the use of substances . Another one is whether he's compatible on a long-term deal. Bauer fell out of favor in both Arizona and Cleveland, and he hasn't always covered himself in glory on social media . Weather changes moods just as sure as Sturgill changes words; if Bauer wants to follow suit, changing his perception into a staff leader in every sense of the term, then he'll need to do more than continue to pitch well.
New York's rotation is set to include Jacob deGrom, Carlos Carrasco, Marcus Stroman, and some combination of Joey Lucchesi, Seth Lugo, Steven Matz, and David Peterson. Noah Syndergaard is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and is expected back at midseason. The rotation is strong already, but there's no such thing as too much pitching.
In addition to landing Carrasco and retaining Stroman through the qualifying offer, the Mets have also added franchise shortstop Francisco Lindor, setup man Trevor May, and catcher James McCann this offseason. They were said to be in on lefty Brad Hand before he signed with the NL East rival Nationals over the weekend.
Cot's Baseball Contracts has New York's projected 2021 payroll at $182.9 million, below the $210 million luxury tax threshold. Cohen said he is unsure whether the Mets will exceed the luxury tax threshold this coming season. Signing Bauer would make staying under the threshold all but impossible.
