Thoughts on Trevor Bauer?

[floplag]

Most people are going to clutch their pearls here and say hell no hes a pervert etc... but does any of that really matter?
Lets not forget, no charges were brought and he was not convicted of anything, by definition that means hes innocent.   Our opinion of him as a person means nothing to that.  Its a virtual lock that there are many sexual defiant in the league and other types of people that have had drug issues, domestic issues etc... 
Baurs suspension was in my opinion a gross overstep by the league, guys that were charged or convicted got far less, even for the same type of offense. 
Wining and losing, thats all that does, and he would certainly help in that regard. 
I dont think Perry or Arte will kick that tire, it isnt their style, but someone will you can bank on that. 

[Blarg]

He hasn't pitched for nearly two years and you guys want to sign this guy sight unseen.   

[cals]

5 minutes ago, Blarg said:

He hasn't pitched for nearly two years and you guys want to sign this guy sight unseen.   

He pitches regularly on YouTube 

[Warfarin]

9 minutes ago, Blarg said:

He hasn't pitched for nearly two years and you guys want to sign this guy sight unseen.   

While I’m not advocating signing him, the risk from a financial perspective is negligible, as it would essentially be the minimum.

[Kotchman]

8 minutes ago, Blarg said:

He hasn't pitched for nearly two years and you guys want to sign this guy sight unseen.   

That’s a valid point. However, I have seen our staff pitch the last two years.  

[Jay]

The new Angels ownership would have to give their blessing for sure.

Long before Bauer's exploits with the woman and subsequent suspension, everybody knew he had issues. The Dodgers ignored those issues and gave him a big contract but they're sorry for that now.

[Jason]

11 minutes ago, Blarg said:

He hasn't pitched for nearly two years and you guys want to sign this guy sight unseen.   

 

5 minutes ago, cals said:

He pitches regularly on YouTube 

I’m assuming he’s been staying in pitching shape during this ordeal but if he hasn’t, shame on him 

[Stradling]

24 minutes ago, Blarg said:

He hasn't pitched for nearly two years and you guys want to sign this guy sight unseen.   

Yea, that $750k sure would be risky.  

[warped]

[Pancake Bear]

31 minutes ago, Kotchman said:

That’s a valid point. However, I have seen our staff pitch the last two years.  

You mean the staff that was 2nd in the AL last season and improved in the off-season?

[Jay]

22 minutes ago, Pancake Bear said:

You mean the staff that was 2nd in the AL last season and improved in the off-season?

2nd in what?

[Blarg]

The Angels were actually 4th in starter ERA in the AL.

https://www.mlb.com/stats/team/pitching/american-league/regular-season?split=sp&sortState=asc

Reliever ERA they dropped all the way down to 11th. 

[Kotchman]

24 minutes ago, Pancake Bear said:

You mean the staff that was 2nd in the AL last season and improved in the off-season?

We were somewhere between 5-8 depending the criteria. That’s a fringe playoff team. Let’s not forget the goal is to win the WS. Look at the top 4-5 pitching teams in the mlb and you will see a ton of winning over the last few years. Teams 10-12 not so much.  

[beatlesrule]

The Dodgers could trade him for salary relief too. Take back a cheaper contract.

[Warfarin]

1 minute ago, beatlesrule said:

The Dodgers could trade him for salary relief too. Take back a cheaper contract.

It will be interesting to see how that plays out.  Will another team offer to trade for him?  If so, how much would another team pick up?

I think a DFA is most likely, as I am not sure another team would actively trade for him.  But I guess if a team is willing to take on the PR issues, then they could probably offer the Dodgers, say, 2-3mil, which is probably all the Dodgers really need for luxury tax purposes.  

[ten ocho recon scout]

I'm still wondering how he wasn't paid? He was never charged with any crime, and the facts that came out showed he never committed one in the first place.

Like @Second Base said. He's a serial weirdo, sure. But im sure plenty of mlb players are.

[ten ocho recon scout]

1 hour ago, Blarg said:

He hasn't pitched for nearly two years and you guys want to sign this guy sight unseen.   

Sounds like the spring training invites a few years ago.

[Kotchman]

10 minutes ago, Blarg said:

The Angels were actually 4th in starter ERA in the AL.

https://www.mlb.com/stats/team/pitching/american-league/regular-season?split=sp&sortState=asc

Reliever ERA they dropped all the way down to 11th. 

Still no way Bauer is anything less than a number two starter on our staff. 

[cals]

4 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

I'm still wondering how he wasn't paid? He was never charged with any crime, and the facts that came out showed he never committed one in the first place.

Like @Second Base said. He's a serial weirdo, sure. But im sure plenty of mlb players are.

The CBA says:

"Players may be disciplined for just cause for conduct that is materially detrimental or materially prejudicial to the best interests of Baseball including, but not limited to, engaging in conduct in violation of federal, state or local law"

According to their policy he doesn't need to have committed a crime.  Their standard is "conduct that is materially detrimental or materially prejudicial to the best interests of Baseball" (whatever that means legally) and the evidentiary standard is "just cause".  Generally, Labor Law has defined "just cause" to mean, in part, that "(t)he investigation should produce substantial proof of a violation. The conclusions of guilt must be supported by the evidence."

So what does this tell me? Taken with the reduction of the suspension from the arbitrator, there must be evidence of "something".  What that is and whether it is anything beyond what we know is hard to say.  I doubt MLB has information that the district attorney's office doesn't.  And likely we also know most that there is to know.

So what does this all tell me?  Well going back to the standard of "conduct that is materially detrimental or materially prejudicial to the best interests of Baseball" apparently consensual, rough sex, getting yourself into the situation Bauer got himself into and failure to take responsibilities or acknowledge the detrimental effects of the behavior is sufficient to uphold, at least in part, the suspension. 

[Erstad Grit]

1 hour ago, Blarg said:

He hasn't pitched for nearly two years and you guys want to sign this guy sight unseen.   

Well he would be a minimum salary.  The public opinion would really be the only risk in signing Bauer. Whatever team has the guts to do it might get an ace.  

[Angel Oracle]

4 hours ago, Stradling said:

I’d assume that Bauer has a no trade clause, so he will get to choose where he plays next.  I could see Cohen offering to pay $5 million of his contract just to be sure they got him. The Mets/Cohen have so much good press right now they could trade for Bauer and hire OJ and Ray Rice to call the games on TV and their fans will still love them.  

With Ray Lewis doing pre and post game shows 

[Blarg]

I really don't think a new ownership would want any part of the Bauer circus. That's not the start of a legacy you want the fans to remember, picking up some nuclear waste and parking it in the clubhouse. 

[Dtwncbad]

24 minutes ago, Blarg said:

I really don't think a new ownership would want any part of the Bauer circus. That's not the start of a legacy you want the fans to remember, picking up some nuclear waste and parking it in the clubhouse. 

Unless they are freaky in bed.

[tdawg87]

I'd take him. 

He wasn't convicted of anything. Doesn't mean he's not a weird asshole but so was Wilson. And Skaggs was a drug addict.

If he improves the team that's all that matters. 

I guess it depends on how the other players would feel about having him on the roster. But fuck that kumbaya bullshit. That got us fucking nowhere. 

I think we need more personality. Obviously clubhouse cancer guys can be a legit problem but that's for Nevin to deal with.

[Angels 1961]

51 minutes ago, tdawg87 said:

I'd take him. 

He wasn't convicted of anything. Doesn't mean he's not a weird asshole but so was Wilson. And Skaggs was a drug addict.

If he improves the team that's all that matters. 

I guess it depends on how the other players would feel about having him on the roster. But fuck that kumbaya bullshit. That got us fucking nowhere. 

I think we need more personality. Obviously clubhouse cancer guys can be a legit problem but that's for Nevin to deal with.

Does he improve your team or make clubhouse toxic?