Mets "Not Interested" in Trevor Bauer

Despite a recent injury to their ace, the Mets do not see the disgraced pitcher as an option.

Although the New York Mets suffered a big pitching loss on Thursday, they aren't expected to make a reactionary move.

Kodai Senga, the team's ace entering the 2024 season, has been shut down due to a posterior capsule strain in his shoulder, with no current timetable on his return. But despite this crucial loss, the Mets are satisfied with their current pitching depth, according to president of baseball operations David Stearns. They will likely roll with a rotation of Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, Tylor Megill, Jose Quintana, and Adrian Houser.

Regarding the pitching options available in free agency, MLB Insider Andy Marino of SNY wrote that the Mets aren't pursuing players such as Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, as every dollar they spend on a free agent is subject to a 110% luxury tax, which would result in the team paying more than double that player's salary.

However, there was another free agent Martino mentioned: Trevor Bauer. Even though the 2020 NL Cy Young winner is available, the Mets have not shown any interest in his services.

Bauer, who pitched for the Yokohama BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball in 2023, finished serving a record-setting 194-game suspension for accusations of sexual assault; he hasn't pitched in the majors since 2021.

It's hardly surprising that the Mets want nothing to do with Bauer. In addition to the obvious blowback they would receive for signing the disgraced pitcher (which would be amplified by the massive NY media market), they had previously bid for his services in the 2020-21 MLB offseason and fell short under controversial - and frustrating - circumstances. 

Bauer's own website accidentally advertised signed Mets hats by Bauer, leading Mets fans to believe that they had acquired the then-reigning NL Cy Young winner. But Bauer instead signed a three-year, $102 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, frustrating Mets fans everywhere.

Even after that fiasco, Bauer has expressed interest in signing with the Mets this offseason. Martino's report, however, shows that the Mets do not reciprocate that interest.

As for the Mets' current situation, they can always change their mind and look for pitching depth to weather the loss of Senga. But if they do look for a pitcher, it probably won't be Bauer.