Trevor Bauer is Good For Baseball

If you missed the big news over the weekend, the prized free-agent pitcher, Trevor Bauer signed a record-breaking deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It's a three-year, $102 million contract with opt-outs after the first two seasons.

Bauer has been a polarizing figure in the game. Not only has he blossomed into one of the best pitchers in baseball, but he's also grown into becoming a huge media personality. He started his media company Momentum, and is very active on all his social media platforms. In a league where no one on the outside knows any of the players, it's refreshing to see someone take action and market himself.

I know some people hate Bauer. A lot of the old-school media folks probably want him to shut the fuck up and play baseball. I do agree there are times he goes overboard. What he did to Mets fans this weekend was absolutely cruel. It was reported by Bob Nightengale that Bauer and the Mets agreed to a deal. If you know anything about baseball, you know to proceed any Nightengale reports with caution. He probably has a .100 batting average of getting reports right. It's super impressive how many he gets wrong.

While other reporters disputed the report from Nightengale, Bauer posted this link in his Linktree.

Was Bobby Nightengale finally right? WRONG! Bauer decided to completely dick the Mets and sign with his hometown team. He even released a cool video announcing it.

Here's my problem with Bauer. Just go all-in on being a heel. Do what LeBron did when he went to Miami. LeBron knew he fucked up when he made his decision. He embraced the villain role in Miami. Instead, he posted a crazy long Twitter thread apologizing to Mets fans.

In a 10+ tweet thread, he apologizes saying his team made a mistake posting that link. He also discussed how he's donating to NYC charities.

What's the point of apologizing? He doesn't owe Mets fans an apology. They already hate you. The last thing they want to hear is you giving an apology.

At the end of the day, all of this is good for the MLB. Drama sells, especially in sports. The NBA has become a beast of its own because of social media. A lot of fans care more about transactions and off-court drama more than what's actually happening on the court. Hopefully more players in the MLB follow Bauer's path. Although it seems unconventional, it's growing the game. It's all about adapting because the old-minded, middle-aged baseball fans aren't going to be here forever.