After losing a heartbreaking elimination game to the Athletics it has become evident the White Sox need to add starting pitching depth. The prized free agent White Sox fans have been salivating, Trevor Bauer, is the perfect candidate to do so.
He sent Twitter into a frenzy following a Tweet that alluded to his interest in playing with the Red Sox.
Hey @redsox you up? pic.twitter.com/2g1Pkyr4WI
— Trevor Bauer (トレバー・バウアー) (@BauerOutage) October 4, 2020
Bauer was flirting with the wrong color Sox. Luckily it was most likely a fun attempt to stir up some rumors. Bauer has been on the record saying he will consider all offers in free agency. White Sox fans dream of a rotation at the top of their rotation alongside Lucas Giolito and Dallas Keuchel. The trio would be a force to be reckoned with. They would immediately contend for the title of leagues best pitching staff.
Bauer has expressed that he only wants to play for contenders for the rest of his career. He has also said that he only wants to sign one year deal. This should come as no surprise. Back in 2018 Bauer stated that he will only sign one year deals for the rest of his career. The reason being he made a bet with a friend that if he ever signs a multi-year deal, the friend gets to shoot him in the nuts with a paintball gun from 10 feet away.
Why They Will Sign Him
Whatever the reason, the White Sox check off the contender box. A one year rental deal would make sense for both parties. Jerry Reinsdorf is not known for spending large sums of cash on big name free agents. However unlike in years past the White Sox are ready to win now! A one year deal would save the Sox money long term that they could be used to extend players like Lucas Giolito and keep Bauer’s groin intact.
Following a season in which the MLB experienced a loss in revenue across the board due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many owners may be reluctant to meet Bauer’s asking price. That might be enough to whittle down some of the competition for Bauer. Most teams also do not possess the same championship window that the White Sox do which makes them an attractive free agent destination.
Trevor Bauer also fills a major hole on the White Sox roster. Outside of Lucas Giolito and Dallas Keuchel, none of the White Sox starters established themselves as a reliable option to take the ball every fifth day.
Micheal Kopech opted out of the 2020 season and hasn’t seen major league action in over two seasons. Banking on him to be a sure thing in 2021 is an unrealistic expectation. Reynaldo Lopez was hampered with injuries and when he did pitch was mostly ineffective. As a result he was left off the playoff roster. Carlos Rodon missed the majority of the season with injuries as well, something that has been a common theme during his White Sox career. Dylan Cease struggled with command and his strikeout rate was almaringly down. Dane Dunning had a solid rookie campaign but struggled his last couple of outings and showed some fatigue near the end of the season.
To win a world series the White Sox need to bolster their rotation. Bauer is the best pitcher on the market and if Rick Hahn is serious about winning a title he will do everything in his power to sign him.
Perfect Fit For The Sox
Bauer would be a perfect fit for the White Sox. The Cy Young front runner posted a 1.73 ERA, 0.795 WHIP and 100 K’s over 11 starts to go along with two complete game shutouts. As a grand finale to his 2020 campaign he pitched 7.2 scoreless innings and struck out 12 Braves in his only postseason start. Those numbers would fit on any roster in baseball.
Bauer is also no stranger to the AL central. Over the course of seven years he tormented the White Sox and the rest of the division to the tune of a 3.89 ERA, over 1,000 strikeouts and an All-Star appearance in 2018.
The White Sox slapped the marketing campaign of “Change The Game” as the battle cry for 2020, priding themselves on being a young, fun, up and coming team. Bauer would be a great addition to the culture. He has become a fan favorite for not being being afraid to speak his mind. The former all-star offers a raw and unfiltered perspective on the game of baseball. He uses his YouTube Channel as a platform to cover controversial topics such as the Astro’s cheating scandal and criticizing Rob Manfred. Bauer defended Tim Anderson after he was suspended for bat-flipping and engaged in some light hearted, trash talk with Anderson earlier this season.
More fuego content just went live. Go check it out! Watch here: https://t.co/taMuMtHgPw https://t.co/wBNBpkQRwG
— Trevor Bauer (トレバー・バウアー) (@BauerOutage) September 22, 2020
Why They Won’t Sign Him
While Bauer would look great in the black, white and silver, he would also be a great fit on 30 other clubs.
As mentioned above Jerry Reinsdorf is not known for writing large checks for big name players. Most of the big names he brings in are way past their prime. This is a narrative the White Sox were looking to change last year. They went on a free agent spending spree, which included dishing out the largest contract in franchise history to Yasmani Grandal. Unfortunately the White Sox lost revenue due to the lack of fans and games. Jerry Reinsdorf may be hesitant to cut any more large checks. Standing pat this offseason would be a mistake if the White Sox have aspirations of being the last team standing next October.
Another roadblock is the fact that the White Sox have also spent a ton of resources to acquire Dane Dunning, Dylan Cease and Micheal Kopech. On top of that the White Sox believe in these players, which they have continued to develop. Adding Bauer would take a spot away from one of these guys. Take might make Rick Hahn hesitant to pull the trigger on a deal.
Bauer has also never said that he is leaving the Reds.
Who said I’m not going to be around next year?? https://t.co/hQztXzpTlr
— Trevor Bauer (トレバー・バウアー) (@BauerOutage) October 5, 2020
Like the White Sox, the Reds made some offseason improvements in 2020 and made a playoff appearance. He might want to try and run it back in 2021
Even if the White Sox make a good offer there is no guarantee that Bauer will sign. He has a strange personality and can be very unpredictable.