MLB insider sets the record straight about Twins signing Trevor Bauer
It apparently needed to be said.
One of the biggest needs for the Minnesota Twins heading into the offseason was finding a way to replace Cy Young runner-up Sonny Gray.
Nobody expected the team to find a 1-for-1 replacement, rather it was his 184.0 innings of work that needed to be accounted for. Minnesota is gambling on Chris Paddack tapping back into the magic he had with the Padres as well as banking on Bailey Ober taking the next big step in his development.
A reduced payroll prevent the Twins from adding outside help, and the internal options have seemingly satisfied the powers that be enough to pull out of the market entirely. Minnesota traded for Anthony DeSclafani as its external addition, but despite the rotation seeming to be set some fans continue to ask about whether Trevor Bauer should be an option.
Bauer is trying to make a comeback after being out of the league since July 2021. He was placed on administrative leave and then suspended for violating the league's domestic violence and sexual assault policy, the details of which you can read about here. The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office declined to prosecute Bauer, but an MLB investigation resulted in an initial suspension of two full seasons that was eventually knocked down to 194 games including time served. He is eligible to sign with any team and play immediately starting this season.
Most MLB teams have refused to entertain the idea of signing Bauer, who most recently made an apperance pitching to Los Angeles Dodgers minor leaguers. Some fans have joined him in his very vocal quest to for employment which has led to a minority of Twins fans begging the question of whether the team should sign him.
MLB insider sets the record straight about Twins signing Trevor Bauer
The Athletic's Aaron Gleeman seemingly put any questions about Bauer joining the Twins to rest.
"No. They aren’t signing Trevor Bauer," Gleeman noted in his most recent mailbag.
There you have it.
It will likely still be a topic of debate, with the guys at SKOR North introducing the idea when the season ended, but the Twins will be looking elsewhere to fill starting pitching needs.
Regardless of the conversation around Bauer, the Twins just don't take these sorts of swings in free agency. Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda, and Pablo Lopez were all acquired in trades, as were guys like Joe Ryan, Jhoan Duran, and the aforementioned DeSclafani. Whenever the Twins have made free agent pitching additions, like Phil Hughes, Chris Archer, or J.A. Happ, they've busted.
Minnesota is likely rolling with the starting pitchers it has, and the group deserves a good look before being tinkered with. As frustrating as it was to have not added a replacement for Sonny Gray, the biggest question around the rotation is whether DeSclafani will be healthy in time for Opening Day.
All other starting pitching questions begin and end with what the team has internally.
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