The Mets are ‘the obvious fit’

The Mets have been connected to free agent starting pitcher Trevor Bauer. Here’s the latest…

Jan. 28, 5:14 p.m.

In the current known landscape for Bauer with the Los Angeles Angels seemingly out of the running, the Mets “are the obvious fit,” SNY’s Andy Martino reported on Thursday.

Per Martino, the Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers both prefer to land Bauer on a short-term deal.

The Mets’ current offer to Bauer, according to Martino, is for approximately four years, contains opt-outs, and is for “somewhat less” than $36 million per season.

While the Mets like Bauer, they are not interested in a bidding war, with Martino reporting that if a team emerges to bid more aggressively that they’ll land him.

Jan. 27, 11:26 p.m.

With the Toronto Blue Jays now seemingly out of the running after trading for Steven Matz and with team president Mark Shapiro saying earlier in the day that “the bulk of the heavy lifting is done,” it appeared the Mets, Angels, and Dodgers were perhaps the final teams still in on Bauer.

But is it time to cross another team off the list?

According to Maria Torres of the LA Times, the likelihood of the Angels signing Bauer is “practically zero.”

Per Torres, outside of just the financial implications of a potential deal, Bauer and current Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway “did not get along” when the two were together in Cleveland, and the relationship is “believed to be eroded beyond repair.”

That would seem to point to the Mets and Dodgers being the two most likely destinations for the Cy Young winner.

Jan. 27, 12:16 p.m.

If Toronto Blue Jays CEO Mark Shapiro is to be taken at face value, it would seem the Jays are out of the running for Bauer.

“The bulk of our heavy lifting is done,” Shapiro said on Wednesday while introducing newest Jay George Springer, per Mike Wilner of Sportsnet.

It should be noted that the Jays still have roughly $66 million in salary cap space before hitting the luxury tax threshold, so they could easily fit Bauer in. But if they’re out, one serious suitor has been removed from Bauer’s market.

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On Dec. 31, Bauer said that he had a meeting set with the Blue Jays, which included talking to their pitching coach.

In addition to the Mets and Toronto, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels have both been connected to Bauer.

Jan. 26, 10:36 a.m.

The Mets have made an offer to Bauer, but “not to this point” at the record-setting average annual value of $36 million, reports SNY’s Andy Martino.

Bauer has reportedly been seeking to eclipse the highest yearly contract value for a pitcher which was set by Gerrit Cole before the 2020 season. The Yankees gave Cole a nine-year deal worth $324 million, which came out to $36 million per season.

In addition to the Mets, other teams that have been connected to Bauer include the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays.

If the Mets were to sign Bauer, the average annual value of his contract would likely take them over the $210 million luxury tax threshold for the 2021 season.

As things currently stand, the Mets have roughly $30 million to play with under the threshold, though they have potential salary-clearing trades lined up. One of those is for Steven Matz, Martino reported on Monday.

Jan. 25, 7:56 p.m.

With the Mets interested in Bauer on a “shorter deal,” it may take more to get him than previously expected.

“If you’re talking about a one-year deal it’s going to take more than $30 million,” one rival team executive told SNY’s John Harper. “Probably closer to $40 million because he’s going to want the highest AAV, and right now that’s (Gerrit) Cole at $36 million (a year).

“You never know with Bauer but I still think he’ll take the biggest deal he can find, because he’ll never have this kind of leverage again. If the AAV is $30 million, I can’t see him taking less than five years.”

Jan. 23, 11:26 a.m.

The Mets reportedly have interest in Bauer on a “shorter” deal, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. Heyman characterizes the length of that deal as four years or fewer, also saying that the Dodgers would have interest at that term, as well.

Heyman continues that other teams are under the impression that Bauer would sign for a longer-term deal and adds that Bauer’s agent says that “he’s open to all different types of structures.”

Jan. 22, 9:44 p.m.

All along, it’s sounded as if the Mets weren’t going to be willing to exceed the luxury tax threshold of $210 million, but those plans just might be changing.

As SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino writes, it’s fair to wonder if the Mets might be changing their course of action after missing out on George Springer. And if Bauer is willing to sign a shorter deal at around $30 million per year, Martino writes that he’d ‘bet the Mets would be in on that.’

Jan. 5, 9:08 p.m.

Rachel Luba, Trevor Bauer‘s agent, provided an update on the Cy Young winner’s free agency on Thursday evening.

In a message posted on Twitter, Luba says that Bauer will discuss “his own thoughts and priorities about what he’s looking for in his next team on his YouTube channel,” and that video will be posted in the coming days.

Luba also notes that Bauer has been discussing how teams are using data and technology to help develop their players, as advancing that side of baseball has been “an important goal” for Bauer.

Luba concluded her message by saying that Bauer is “considering a number of different types of contracts and structures,” and that his ultimate decision will be based on a variety of factors.

Dec. 31, 4:22 p.m.

As SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino reported on Wednesday, the Mets and Blue Jays remain seriously interested in center fielder George Springer, but could Toronto also be a destination for Trevor Bauer?

In a video posted by the free agent pitcher on Thursday, Bauer says that he has a call scheduled with the Blue Jays. The vlog was was posted on Thursday but was filmed around Christmas when he was home with his family.

The reigning NL Cy Young winner said he would speak with Jays pitching coach Pete Walker as well as a member of the team’s high performance staff, likely to be Angus Mugford, listed as the team’s director of high performance.

“I’ve got a call with the Blue Jays at six. Gonna check in with them, talk to their pitching coach and their high performance coach and all them and see what they have to offer,” Bauer said. “So that’s moving forward.”

Dec. 15. 9:37 a.m.

The San Francisco Giants have talked about signing Bauer, reports John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle.

However, Shea notes that the Giants discuss the top free agents every year, meaning it is not clear just how serious the interest in Bauer could be.

Speaking on Monday during new GM Jared Porter‘s introductory news conference, Mets president Sandy Alderson said the “gourmet” section of the free agent market (the higher end players) is developing slowly.

Things could quickly change, but it does not appear that a signing of Bauer or another top free agent is close.

Along with Bauer, center fielder George Springer and catcher J.T. Realmuto remain unsigned. Also still on the market are most of the second tier starting pitchers, including Jake Odorizzi, Masahiro Tanaka, and Corey Kluber.

Dec. 7, 10:06 a.m.

Bauer’s agent, Rachel Luba, told Deesha Thosar of The New York Daily News that her client “likes where the (Mets’) organization is going,” adding that Queens can “definitely be a landing spot.”

Per Luba, here is the current state of Bauer’s market as it pertains to when he might sign:

“We’re set enough to be in a position where we don’t have any sense of urgency to slow down the process or speed it up,” Luba told Thosar. “We’re just letting it play out right now. We don’t want to rush into anything without talking to everyone and seeing what’s out there before making a decision.”

The Mets — and specifically team president Sandy Alderson — began flirting with Bauer in November.

Last week, SNY’s Andy Martino reported that the Mets have interest in signing RHP Jake Odorizzi, and would have no issue signing him before the market develops.

Nov. 19, 11:01 a.m.

Bauer’s agent, Rachel Luba, quote tweeted Mets owner Steve Cohen on Wednesday night after Cohen told a fan that the plan was to spend the $24 million no longer owed to Robinson Cano on more players.

Nov. 15, 4:59 p.m.

Bauer posted a long video praising Steve Cohen’s first few days as Mets owner.

“Unfortunately in baseball, this doesn’t happen very often. I mean, when was the last time that you can think of that you have an owner on Twitter asking the fans, his customers, what they want? … You got the owner of the Mets talking to fans on Twitter — that’s pretty cool,” he said.

Nov. 13, 4:30 p.m.

In a conversation with SNY, Bauer’s agent, Rachel Luba, praised Sandy Alderson‘s comments about her client and talked about his potential fit in New York.

“We’re at this place where there’s so much value in being in a big media market and taking advantage of that. … Having a big following and a big public presence helps these other ventures (that Bauer has),” Luba said. “It’s definitely helpful for him. I think he’s at a place now where i think he can thrive (in a big market).”

As far as Alderson’s comments about her client, Luba said:

“I was happy to hear somebody on the MLB side, the team side, acknowledge and vocalize the fact that they are in the entertainment business and that this is entertainment,” Luba explained. “Make baseball fun, that’s what the sport should be. … I’m glad somebody said it on the team side and acknowledged it. To me, the coolest part is to see how the narrative has changed on him and in a positive way.”

Nov. 10, 6:26 p.m.

Mets president Sandy Alderson said Bauer “would be a great personality in New York.”

“This is an entertainment business. … We’ve got to be open-minded about how players express themselves,” Alderson said during an appearance on WFAN. “The thing that’s interesting about Bauer is he brings along with him a lot of ideas, a lot of routines, a sort of technical orientation that I bet we can learn from. If a guy can perform. It doesn’t really– to me as long as it’s not disruptive in the clubhouse and basically if guys see someone performing, they’ll live with whatever the baggage is.

“I actually think Bauer would be a great personality in New York. I think he’s the kind of guy that fans would embrace.”

Alderson’s WFAN appearance also caught the eye of Bauer’s agent, Rachel Luba, who tweeted “Sandy Alderson gets it.”