Trevor Bauer Fuels Houston Astros Rumors With Social Media Post

The Trevor Bauer-Houston Astros rumors are heating up.

Jun 23, 2021; San Diego, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Trevor Bauer (27) throws a pitch. / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

The Trevor Bauer to Houston Astros rumors continued to gain serious traction over the weekend after first flaring up last week.

After requesting a private tryout from Bauer last week, the Astros watched him throw a bullpen session on Friday. Based on a social media post from Bauer on Saturday, the interest is apparently mutual.

Bauer posted a story to his Instagram account on Saturday of him reaching into a rack of baseball hats and pulling out an orange Houston cap, suggesting that he could be joining the Astros soon and adding more fuel to intensifying rumors swirling around both sides.

Trevor Bauer posts himself grabbing an Astros hat??? #Relentless 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/TW0uytv2rQ

— Harley Dugan (@TheLead_HOU) June 8, 2024

Bauer, 33, has not pitched in the major leagues since 2021 due to off-the-field issues. He spent much of the 2021 campaign on administrative leave and was suspended for 194 games in 2022 following MLB's investigation into sexual assault allegations. Bauer never faced criminal charges and was never formally convicted of anything, but the Los Angeles Dodgers released him in 2023 rather than putting him back on the active roster. After pitching for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in 2023, he's now pitching in the Mexican League for the Diablos Rojos del Mexico.

Bauer hasn't appeared in an MLB game in nearly three years, but he was one of the best pitchers in baseball prior to his absence. The talented right-hander was an All-Star in 2018 with the Cleveland Guardians and won the 2020 NL Cy Young award for the Cincinnati Reds, leading the NL in ERA that year.

In 10 MLB seasons, Bauer is 83-69 with a 3.79 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP and a 9.8 K/9 in nearly 1,300 career innings. He's also been outstanding in the playoffs with a 2.94 ERA across 33 2/3 postseason innings.

Despite Bauer's polarizing presence and controversial history, it's easy to see why Houston is interested in signing him. The Astros' rotation has been decimated by injuries this year, resulting in a losing record and a disappointing start to the season. Houston has a lot of ground to make up if it wants to make the playoffs, and adding a proven starter like Bauer could give its pitching staff a significant boost.

Meanwhile, Bauer is looking for a second chance to prove he's still an MLB-caliber pitcher after several years out of the league. Not many teams have shown interest in him due to his personal baggage, but the Astros are apparently willing to overlook that.

Houston is already one of MLB's most disliked teams due to its 2017 cheating scandal and recent success, so the franchise doesn't have much to lose on the PR front. Signing Bauer would make plenty of sense for both sides, so don't be surprised if they strike a deal sooner rather than later.