MLB Teams Dealing With Major Pitching Injuries, So Where's Trevor Bauer?
As has become a recurring ritual every spring, a number of teams across Major League Baseball are dealing with significant injuries to important members of their pitching staff.
The New York Yankees lost their ace, Gerrit Cole, for their season. They lost 2024 American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil for several months. At least. The New York Mets are starting Clay Holmes on Opening Day, a converted reliever who's made four career starts. Sean Manaea, who signed a $75 million deal with New York, is still dealing with an oblique injury, pushing his debut back.
Arizona Diamondbacks starter Blake Watson is out for the season. The San Diego Padres are missing Joe Musgrove after a late-season injury. Grayson Rodriguez for the Orioles is dealing with an elbow injury. Kyle Bradish too, is out until at least the second half of the season. Lucas Giolito has a hamstring strain for the Boston Red Sox.
The list goes on and on. And it raises the question: why has nobody in MLB given Trevor Bauer a call to join their rotation?
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - 2024/05/31: Trevor Bauer #96 of Diablos Rojos is seen during the Mexican Baseball League (LMB) match 1 between Dorados de Chihuahua and Diablos Rojos del México , at Alfredo Harp Helu Stadium. Diablos Rojos defeat Dorados de Chihuahua 3-1. (Photo by Carlos Santiago/Eyepix Group/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Trevor Bauer Couldn't Help MLB Teams?
Bauer last pitched in the majors in 2021 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which is now somehow four years ago. But in those 17 starts, he was excellent. A 2.59 ERA, 11.45 strikeouts per nine innings and 3.1 wins above replacement, per Baseball-Reference.
For reference, new Yankees pitcher Max Fried had 3.5 wins above replacement last year for Atlanta in 29 starts. And he got eight years and $215 million.
Yes, it's been four years, but Bauer won the Cy Young in 2020 and continued that excellence in 2021. Would he really not be an improvement over some of the pitchers these teams are rolling out?
Fangraphs, for example, projects Stephen Kolek to be the fifth member of the Padres rotation. Kolek has zero major league starts on his resume and he's 28-years-old. His relief appearances weren't too great either, considering the 5.21 ERA last season.
Wouldn't it be worth seeing if there's a potential upgrade out there willing to play for basically the league minimum? One with a Cy Young in his past, maybe?
Teams are clearly too worried about the backlash from far-left sports media to consider it. Just like the Dodgers caved to pressure from extremist progressives at the LA Times over honoring offensive drag nuns in 2023, they live in fear of offending the wrong people.
There is no reason why Bauer couldn't sign with an MLB team, and plenty of reasons for a team to give him a chance to improve their roster. For some inexplicable reason, they won't even try.