Bauer: Free agency's only on my mind when I'm thinking about trolling fans
Say what you will about Trevor Bauer, but the soon-to-be free-agent right-hander knows exactly how to stir up the masses.
With about a week to go before he officially hits the open market, Bauer told Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer that he hasn't sat down to fully map out his future just yet. In fact, he claims he's only thought about free agency while coming up with "little creative ways to troll the fan bases on social media."
Bauer's Twitter hijinks have caused quite the stir ahead of the offseason. He's pondered a future for himself in multiple cities since mid-October, including some potentially odd destinations.
This year’s @Padres team is scary. Imagine what that offense, defense, and attitude could look like next year with a stable of elite starting pitchers 😉
— Trevor Bauer (@BauerOutage) October 8, 2020
Hey is DC a fun city? If meetings don’t last all day, what should I check out? Any suggestions @Nationals?
— Trevor Bauer (@BauerOutage) October 8, 2020
Can’t come to Baltimore without being reminded of what a cool stadium Camden is, especially when it’s packed with fans. Nothing like hearing 30,000+ @Orioles fans yell O during the National anthem. Always a fun time
— Trevor Bauer (@BauerOutage) October 10, 2020
Do @BlueJays fans love me though? Or do they still hate me? 🤔🤔 https://t.co/eKjMoOknRe
— Trevor Bauer (@BauerOutage) October 13, 2020
Embrace the heel life 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/Bj1ldXgrwW
— Trevor Bauer (@BauerOutage) October 22, 2020
Beyond the trolling, Bauer did share a little bit of insight into his priorities this winter. While he's backed down from his previous stance of only being interested in one-year contracts, the 29-year-old told Nightengale that personal happiness will ultimately sway his decision, whether on a short- or long-term contract.
"I don't want to be in a situation where I'm unhappy," Bauer said. "I've spent many years of my big-league career unhappy. I don't think I even realized how unhappy I was because I didn't realize how much I could actually enjoy playing baseball. That's something I just don't have any interest in, spending any more of my big-league career being unhappy. It's one of the biggest things for me."
Bauer also praised the Cincinnati Reds, his team since the middle of 2019, stating that he "had probably more fun this year playing baseball than I've had in, shoot, a long time."