The calendar has changed to 2021 and spring training (probably) is just three weeks away. I hope that MLB and MLBPA can put their differences aside and start spring training and the regular season start on time, although I fear I’m being optimistic.
During the off-season, my fellow CBS Sports MLB scribes and I will bring you a weekly round table detailing, well, almost everything. The latest news, a historical issue, thoughts about the future of baseball, all sorts of things. Last week, we chose one of the top free agent shortstops. This week, we’ll cover 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 now – especially after Steven Matz’s switch – so I’m going to give in to peer pressure and say it. I think it will be a full AAV deal, which means we’re probably looking at two years, more than $ 70 – or something like that.
Dayn Perry: I agree that most of the buzz revolves around the Mets now, but I will say Dodgers in a one-year deal that did not arrest him due to the uncertainty surrounding the Collective Bargaining Agreement. I bet Bauer will eventually set the record for AAV and then close a long-term contract when it hits the market again next winter.
Katherine Acquavella: Based on what we know now, it looks like the Mets and the Angels are the top two in the lead, so I will say that Bauer ends up staying with the Angels. An even bolder prediction, let’s say LA gets a long-term deal with Bauer (maybe somewhere in the 4- to 6-year age group) and passes Gerrit Cole’s record $ 36 million AAV.
Matt Snyder: At this point, I’m not sure I would know where to start with any kind of firm answer other than just a hunch. The persistent status of the pandemic affecting baseball operations means that it is possible for Bauer to sign a one-year contract, as he mentioned in the past. Many players would not want to bet on themselves that way if they had a choice, but I believe Bauer would. This puts the Dodgers at stake. The Mets remains an obvious fit. I think the Angels make a lot of sense here for both parties, so I’ll go with them. Shot in the dark? Five years and $ 175 million.
Mike Axisa: I go with the angels. They need to pitch (more precisely, they need a number 1 starter) and I’m not sure if another team is willing to beat them in a bidding war right now. Despite all the recent buzz, I think the Blue Jays and Mets left the race with their recent activity, and the Yankees and Red Sox would surprise me, given their servile devotion to the limit of the luxury tax. I will go with the Angels, Bauer’s hometown team, and a five-year deal worth $ 36.1 million per season (breaking Gerrit Cole’s $ 36 million average annual salary record) with opt out at every year.