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North_of_Border wrote:He posted on the internet that he was going to have a video meeting with the Jays, where he is to meet the Pitching coach and the rest of the staff. Now i know meetings are common in these situations, and in the end money really does talk. However meeting with the pitching coach don’t happen unless it’s a later stage in the recruitment.

Shapiro-Atkins are serious.

dagger wrote:

North_of_Border wrote:He posted on the internet that he was going to have a video meeting with the Jays, where he is to meet the Pitching coach and the rest of the staff. Now i know meetings are common in these situations, and in the end money really does talk. However meeting with the pitching coach don’t happen unless it’s a later stage in the recruitment.

Shapiro-Atkins are serious.

I'm sure they are serious but it's also a smooth bargaining move to post the fact you are having that meeting like he did. I'm sure his other suitors noticed, which was probably the point.

Brinbe wrote:Not so private if he's blabbing about it lol

Mak wrote:whats the latest on this?

Some in baseball also take exception with Bauer’s personality, but he was well-liked by his Reds teammates last season while producing a 1.73 ERA in 73 innings and winning the National League Cy Young Award. The Mets are not the only club talking about signing him. The Dodgers and Blue Jays are among the other clubs believed to be in the mix. The Twins are not, sources said, in response to an earlier version of this story.

The Mets’ interest in Bauer is not new, but sources said it has become more focused in recent days, in the wake of the Blue Jays reaching an agreement with free-agent outfielder George Springer on a six-year, $150 million contract.

The Blue Jays struck their deal with Springer on Tuesday, the same day the Mets dismissed Porter after an ESPN report revealed that he had sent a journalist from a foreign country explicit, unsolicited photos, including a photo of a naked penis.

The Mets had targeted Springer and appear likely to sign shortstop Francisco Lindor, whom they acquired in a trade earlier this month from the Indians, to a contract extension worth more than $300 million.

The addition of Bauer likely would put them over the $210 million luxury-tax threshold, recently described by team president Sandy Alderson as a “significant demarcation.” But the team also has maintained it might be willing to exceed the threshold for certain players.

The price Bauer would command is unclear. Entering his age-30 season, he is open to both short- and long-term contracts. The Mets, like the Dodgers, likely would prefer a short-term deal with a high average annual value. And because Bauer rejected the Reds’ qualifying offer, the Mets would forfeit their second-highest pick in the draft and $500,000 from their international bonus pool if they signed him.

Fairview4Life wrote:

Mak wrote:whats the latest on this?

No news.

8. Where will Trevor Bauer sign?

Bauer is a polarizing figure and the answers reflected that. While some pondered and made logical guesses, others opted not to answer or professed it mattered little where baseball’s top free agent lands. Agents did not comment on this specifically, but Bauer’s social media activity has generated controversy and, in multiple instances, provoked harassment by his followers. One agent cautioned that some clubs were leery of Bauer: “Great player, Cy Young, no doubt about it. But there’s a lot of baggage.”

Tie: Blue Jays and Angels, 5 points

The Jays have been in the news recently for adding George Springer, and both they and the Angels are in need of a frontline starter.

Mets: 4 points

Dodgers: 1 1/2 points

While the Mets have made a splash in trading for shortstop Francisco Lindor, several agents still predicted they’d go after Bauer. The Dodgers got one full vote and another mention from an agent who was torn. “He wants $250 million and they are holding out for the Dodgers.”

Mariners, Yankees, Giants: 1 point

The Korean Baseball Organization also received a vote, which is less about Bauer’s talent and more about it being late January without a deal.

“I’m tired of (his social media behavior),” said one agent, “and I think a lot of players are, too.”

10. Where’s the worst place to play?

Toronto got mentioned enough to warrant a mention here, too.

• “The No. 1, most common team put on a no-trade list that I’ve ever been a part of is the Toronto Blue Jays. I don’t know why because I think Toronto is an amazing city. But I think it’s a combination of AL East, Canada taxes and probably travel for their families. If you’re a California kid, you probably don’t want to be playing for the Blue Jays. That’s a pain in the butt for your family to get there.”

• “The turf in Toronto is particularly awful. It wears your body down. I love the city, I love the ballpark. But the turf is a killer.”

With a few weeks remaining until the scheduled start of spring training, the Angels have yet to land a frontline starter. Unless there is a significant philosophical shift, they won’t. And that means the likelihood of signing top free-agent starter Trevor Bauer is practically zero.

The Angels have been mentioned as a suitor for Bauer, last season’s Cy Young Award winner in the National League, all winter. A union makes sense on some levels. He is 29 and coming off a season in which he posted a sterling ERA (1.73) and improved strikeouts-per-nine-innings rate (12.3) while wielding one of the most polished arsenals in the sport. He is a native of Southern California. Bauer would change the complexion of an Angels rotation that ended last year with a 5.52 ERA.

But he’s not a great fit in Anaheim, according to people with knowledge of the Angels’ thinking, even if the team were to offer him the record-setting annual value (greater than $36 million) he reportedly seeks.

Finances are a factor. The Angels’ payroll in relation to the luxury tax stood at $186.5 million after last week’s addition of starter José Quintana. It is unclear how close owner Arte Moreno is willing to get to the luxury-tax threshold of $210 million but he has never spent more than the $194 million he committed to the 2020 opening-day roster.

Another disconnect between Bauer and the Angels is the coaching staff. Bauer previously worked with current Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway while in Cleveland from 2013 to 2017. They did not get along. Bauer has long taken a progressive approach to pitching; he was an early adopter of such techniques as throwing weighted balls, long-tossing and utilizing cameras to improve pitches. Callaway’s style is more traditional; he uses analytical tools sparingly. Last year, he said he prefers to use them “to make a little nudge.”

Bauer publicly alluded to tension between them in a Sports Illustrated cover story that ran in 2019.

“I’m going to try to find every single way to do better and I’ve probably researched it more than you have,” Bauer said in reference to a disagreement over pitch usage he had with Callaway. “Don’t tell me what I do and don’t know without some good f—ing data behind it.”

The relationship between Bauer and Callaway is believed to be eroded beyond repair, according to a person with knowledge of Bauer’s current negotiations.

That leaves first-year general manager Perry Minasian shopping in a market similar to the one frequented by predecessor Billy Eppler.