Dodgers, Bauer agree to reported 3-year deal worth $102M
Trevor Bauer is going home.
The 2020 National League Cy Young winner has agreed to a deal with the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, which he revealed in a YouTube video on Friday.
Bauer's agreement is reportedly for three years and will pay him $102 million. It includes opt-outs after each of the first two years and will make the native of California the highest-paid player in MLB history in 2021 and 2022.
Trevor Bauer gets $102M for 3 years from Dodgers, per source. He has opt outs after each of the first two years; $40M in 2021, $45M in 2022. He'll be the highest-paid player in MLB history in '21, then again in '22. Good job by @AgentRachelLuba & Jon Fetterolf of @zssports_law.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 5, 2021
In the end, Bauer doesn't break Gerrit Cole's AAV for the entire contract. But if he opts out after either of the first two years, his AAV will be far higher than Cole's $36M. One year/$40M or two years/$85M ($42.5M AAV). If he stays all three, it's three years/$102M ($34M AAV).
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 5, 2021
The New York Mets were a finalist for Bauer and reportedly made a significant offer to the 30-year-old hurler.
#Mets went after Bauer hard. Offer was roughly 3 yrs, $110M with similar opt outs after Years 1 and 2 but total was about $40M in each of this years. Deal was comparable or more. But the North Hollywood kid took the hometown greatly run defending champs.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) February 5, 2021
Bauer spent last season with the Cincinnati Reds. He finished the campaign with a 1.73 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, and 2.88 FIP while recording 100 strikeouts in 73 innings. The Reds will receive draft-pick compensation after the first round for losing their former ace to free agency.
He'll join a Dodgers rotation that is also expected to include two fellow Cy Young winners in Clayton Kershaw and David Price, as well as Walker Buehler and Julio Urias. Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin are other starting options next season.
Following Bauer's addition, the Dodgers move above baseball's $205-million luxury-tax threshold, although they still appear to be interested in re-signing third baseman Justin Turner.