Trevor Bauer is Where He Wants To Be

Trevor Bauer wanted to cash in after winning the NL Cy Young Award, and that’s fine, he’s entitled to do so. There’s no point in talking about his contract because it’s full of opt-outs and clauses. Bauer will likely be there for two years and got paid handsomely by the Los Angeles Dodgers to do so. Now the champs have a great chance to repeat. The bigger question is, did he want to play for the Mets?

I don’t think so. I felt like Bauer wanted to go to the Angels, and then later the Dodgers. He’s from the west coast and seemed like that’s where he wanted to be but he wasn’t getting the kind of dollar offers he needed so he tugged on the heartstrings of Mets fans on Twitter including the owner, Steve Cohen when he had a working handle.

Mets fans don’t forget, and this owner won’t either. If he’s looking for a payday after opting out after year two of his new contract, then goes to the Mets looking for another big score. I believe they’ll turn it down. It seems like Sandy Alderson was focused on getting him, and the next regime may not feel the same way.

The Mets Are Still Looking 

Will they try to court Jackie Bradley Jr. to play center field? Maybe. They still have Brandon Nimmo, and it’s not an emergency; it would be a defensive upgrade but not an offensive one, so price matters with this one.

The Mets offseason isn’t over, but they’ve swung and missed on a few, in the end, that’s to be expected. They’re a much-improved team, but they’re not built to win a World Series just yet. It’s hard to do that in one offseason.

Ozuna Back With the Braves

Marcel Ozuna got a long-term deal. He gambled on a one-year deal last year, and now his NL-leading 18 home runs and .338 batting average got him a robust deal: four years for $65 million with an option for a fifth year. The Braves may still be the team to beat in the NL East once again. It will be a very tight division in 2021. You can make an argument that any team can win the division or have a chance at a wild card.

The Nationals Signed Catcher Alex Avila

Avila was last with the Twins, and now he’s in the National League. He got a one-year deal for $1.5 million. He has some power, and he’s a solid backup for a contending team. I expect a lot of teams to make some quick, cheap signings with a few weeks to go until pitchers and catchers start reporting for work.