Trevor Bauer was very close to joining the New York Mets three years ago.
Right before inking a three-year deal worth north of $100 million, the Mets, fresh off Steve Cohen’s acquisition, had long been near the top of the 2020 NL Cy Young Award winner’s list.
Bauer even posted a YouTube video in that offseason, discussing what intrigued him about the Mets.
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“I was happy to come play for the Mets last time I was a free agent. Obviously, I was very close to having made that decision,” Bauer told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview this week.
Then something bizarre occurred.
Bauer’s own website accidentally advertised signed Mets hats by Bauer, prompting fans to think he was signing with New York, yet he had already agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The fiasco had him considering dropping out of his Dodgers agreement entirely and playing for the Mets, simply to appease the fan base in blue and orange.
“I won’t go more into depth on that one,” he told Fox News Digital.
But now, after his 324-game suspension for violating MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy for sexual misconduct allegations (which was reduced to 194) and spending one year playing in Japan, Bauer is again a free agent, and it sounds like the Mets could be near the top of his desired destinations again.
If “Uncle Stevie” came calling this time around, Bauer says he’d be “happy” to play in Queens.
TREVOR BAUER SAYS HE’S GROWN FROM ‘MISTAKES’ IN THE PAST, HOPES FOR ‘SECOND OPPORTUNITY’ IN MLB
“The Mets have a great thing going on,” Bauer said. “Obviously, those players I’ve played with – I really respect [former Cleveland teammate] Francisco Lindor as a leader, as a player, he’s one of the best out there.”
“Playing in New York would be awesome. The fan bases here are crazy. I’d be more than open to it.”
Bauer and his agent, Rachel Luba, are looking for a match, but one hasn’t come yet.
So, while it seems like Bauer has his eyeballs on Queens, he’s looking for any sort of opportunity in the Major Leagues.
And he has a pretty decent sales pitch.
“I do think I’m one of the best pitchers in the world,” Bauer said. “I have a lot to bring a team on and off the field. I’m very passionate about helping other players around me. But I think it’s more of, I want to be a positive influence on the community, on the team, on the organization, on the players.”
“I’m going to perform on the field. I’m in great shape, I’m better now than I ever have been in my career. I have no doubt that I’ll perform well on the field. But I want to be a positive impact in the clubhouse. I want to be a positive impact in the community, and I will do those things. I’m committed to playing the second half of my career better than I played in the first; helping grow the game both from a skill perspective, on-the-field technical perspective, and from a fan-engagement perspective. I have a lot to offer. I’m going to do the second half of my career better than I did the first, and I’m just looking for an opportunity to do that.”
The Mets won 101 games in 2022 but just 75 last year. Bauer pitched to a 2.76 ERA in Japan’s professional league while striking out 130 batters in 130.2 innings.
New York recently signed longtime Yankees veteran Luis Severino and acquired Adrian Houser from the Milwaukee Brewers.
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