MLB Roundtable: Trevor Bauer is the best free agent in the market; where did it land?



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The schedule has rolled back to 2021 and spring training is (probably) only three weeks away. Hopefully MLB and MLBPA can put their differences aside and start spring training and the regular season on time, although I’m afraid to be optimistic.

Throughout the offseason, my fellow CBS Sports MLB scribes and I will be bringing you a weekly panel discussion that will break down just about everything. Breaking news, historical question, thoughts on the future of baseball, all kinds of stuff. Last week we picked some of the best free agent shortstops. This week we will tackle the best unsigned free agent.

Where will Trevor Bauer sign and for how much?

RJ Anderson: There’s a lot of smoke around the Mets right now – especially after their Steven Matz trade – so I’m going to give in to peer pressure and tell them. I think it’s going to be an AAV above full value deal, which means we’re probably looking at two years, over $ 70 – or something like that.

Dayn Perry: Agree that most of the buzz is surrounding the Mets right now, but I’ll say Dodgers on a one-year deal that doesn’t lock them in the uncertainty surrounding the collective agreement. I bet Bauer will eventually set the AAV record and eventually sign a long-term deal when he returns to the market next winter.

Katherine Acquavella: Based on what we know right now, it looks like the Mets and the Angels are two of the top favorites, so I will say Bauer ends up with the Angels. An even bolder prediction, let’s say LA gets Bauer on a long-term deal (maybe somewhere in the 4-6 year range) and breaks Gerrit Cole’s AAV record of $ 36 million.

Matt Snyder: At this point, I’m not sure where to start with a firm answer that’s not just a guess. The continuing status of the pandemic affecting baseball operations means that there is a possibility that Bauer could take on a one-year contract as he has mentioned in the past. A lot of players wouldn’t want to bet on themselves like this if they had a choice, but I think Bauer would. That puts the Dodgers on the line. The Mets remain an obvious choice. I think the angels mean a lot here for both parties, so I’ll go with them. A bullet in the dark? Five years and $ 175 million.

Mike Axisa: I go with the angels. They need to pitch (more specifically, they need a # 1 starter) and I’m not sure another team is ready to beat them in a bidding war right now. Despite all the recent buzz, I think the Blue Jays and Mets have retired from racing with their recent activity, and the Yankees and Red Sox would surprise me given their slavish dedication at the luxury tax threshold. I’ll go with the Angels, Bauer’s hometown team, and a five-year contract worth $ 36.1 million per season (breaking Gerrit Cole’s average annual salary record of $ 36 million. dollars) with unsubscribes after each year.



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