Should The Twins Target Trevor Bauer?

Yes.

Am I the only one that expects a couple of bonafide starters as good or better than Bauer (it appears the 2018 is an outlier, no?) coming from our system, and surfacing this season or next? I mean, isn't it time that the "pitching expertise" lauded in the article starts to be performance of the pitchers developed, and not just talk in the Twin Cities? It happens all the time around MLB, and we salivate about it finally being farmed here. It's time. 

I don't think Falvine would or should target Trevor Bauer any more or any less than any other player. A good GM and his/her staff will continually evaluate players within and outside of the organization and will make a trade, a draft pick, or a free agent acquisition based on whether the transaction puts the franchise in a better position, especially at the major league level.

 It will also be better for him if he is on the same team as Kepler.

It would be similar to the Twins signing Clippard. The Twins hit him well last year even though he was quite good against the rest of the majors. Coming here might be good for Clippard or Bauer, but maybe not as good for the Twins.

Am I the only one that expects a couple of bonafide starters as good or better than Bauer (it appears the 2018 is an outlier, no?) coming from our system, and surfacing this season or next? I mean, isn't it time that the "pitching expertise" lauded in the article starts to be performance of the pitchers developed, and not just talk in the Twin Cities? It happens all the time around MLB, and we salivate about it finally being farmed here. It's time. 

2018 - Yup!  Feels like a huge outlier.  I'm not against acquiring him, but I sure wouldn't pay a hefty price for him.

I think we should be open for any opportunity that may arise.  Bauer is much more worthy of a high draft pick through his skill & experience which he can share. I`d definitely not write him off. My dream is the Twins to have an ace factory pumping them out on a regular basis. We are not quite there yet, trading away high pitching prospects puts us further back. So going out & get a couple high end pitchers is not out the question if we want to win a WS now.

2018 - Yup!  Feels like a huge outlier.  I'm not against acquiring him, but I sure wouldn't pay a hefty price for him.

The price is going to seem very hefty because it is going to be a one year contract if Bauer holds true to his one year at a time goal.   I actually respect that and am ok with it as long as the premium he is paid for accepting a one year contract is based on his 2019 year rather than his 2018 year.

Trevor Bauer and Zack Greinke are my two favorite personalities in baseball today. 

Bauer has stated that he will only be taking one year deals in FA. If he sticks to that, he will likely cost $30mil or more, provided he gets back to even career numbers in 2020. That seems like a much more important discussion point and may price him out of the Twins budget.

He would not create a media circus in any way possible. This is not signing someone like Aroldis Chapman, AJ Hinch or, from other sports, Colin Kaepernick or Lebron James. From listening to current and former teammates of Bauer's talk on podcasts and YouTube with other MLBers, they absolutely love him...especially the pitchers. 

I mean, Mike Clevinger, who I'm going to guess is about as far to the other side of the political spectrum, based on his publicly stated values and philosophies, as you will find, calls Trevor Bauer his "best friend". 

That's the kind of player I want on my favorite team. If he can be had on a reasonable deal, hell yes, sign him up.

No. Much rather get a Maeda type for pie in the sky. Don't confuse free agency with Christmas.

I would trade Max Kepler for him even up. Cleveland would find out that Max aint gonna hit 5 HR’s, or whatever it was, in a row off him anymore.  
 

Ps:  Please  don’t question my mental acuity on the Kepler trade, or anything else. That horse has left the paddock.

I'm not a big fan of Bauer, though I clearly don't know him, only because I've heard different whispers and innuendo that he's really not that nice of a guy. Then there are incidents like the launched ball. Now, maybe he's a swell guy and all his teammates have love him. I could care less about his politics or anything of that nature as long as he is good in the clubhouse and not disruptive in it or out of it affecting the team.

Period.

As a ballplayer, my one concern is his determination to only sign year to year deals. Does that work for the Twins? You get one year, hopefully a great one, but then you're back to bidding again or looking to fill. That is my concern.

His breakdown video of Kepler hitting five HR's in a row off him is pretty good. 

On topic - getting Bauer would make this team significantly better. I still don’t trust this rotation much, and am not sold on Maeda being anything more than average to slightly above (if you honestly believe the Dodgers pulled him from the rotation to save a few million, I’m sorry, you’re wrong). This rotation will still be a massive issue come playoff time (if there is playoff time).

Thanks Matt for giving us an article about current baseball; not uniforms, what players do w/ their free time or etc (I was getting very bored).  Getting back to Bauer, I probably don`t like his music or agree w/ everything he says or the way he says it but that`s not important. Giving him the benefit of doubt that maybe he was distracted last year, he`s a great pitcher. Besides that he has a great analytic mind about pitching. Wes Johnson is great but he`s not a god, the Twins have a lot of young pitchers that need their skills honed & some a 3rd pitch. If Bauer can help them, he could be a key to that ace factory I`m dreaming about. I believe he`s motivated to be a Twin.

On topic - getting Bauer would make this team significantly better. I still don’t trust this rotation much, and am not sold on Maeda being anything more than average to slightly above (if you honestly believe the Dodgers pulled him from the rotation to save a few million, I’m sorry, you’re wrong). This rotation will still be a massive issue come playoff time (if there is playoff time).

Just a couple points of clarification:

1] Unless I read it wrong, I think the original point was looking at Bauer as a FA target next year, in relation to how the FA situation has changed for the Twins. Hence my thought/question was his desire for 1yr contracts and does that fit for the Twins organization.

2] While the topic of the Dodgers holding down payroll has been brought up, considering the sure amount of $ on their books, and luxury tax implications not withstanding, I don't believe it's ever been confirmed that was their intent. Two items I have read from various outlets are:

A] Despite success and quality numbers, his second half numbers may have slipped, here or there at least, and with available depth on hand, they moved him late to the pen.

B] With available ST depth on hand, and questions about their bullpen depth, the Dodgers moved him to the pen for depth there in the stretch run and playoffs.

Considering his results in the pen, and his best season results against LH batters in 2019, and from the sources I've read, I subscribe to possibility B myself.

I'm not a big fan of Bauer, though I clearly don't know him, only because I've heard different whispers and innuendo that he's really not that nice of a guy. Then there are incidents like the launched ball. Now, maybe he's a swell guy and all his teammates have love him. I could care less about his politics or anything of that nature as long as he is good in the clubhouse and not disruptive in it or out of it affecting the team.

Period.

As a ballplayer, my one concern is his determination to only sign year to year deals. Does that work for the Twins? You get one year, hopefully a great one, but then you're back to bidding again or looking to fill. That is my concern.

And the big concern about signing any free agent to a long term deal is that they give us one good year and then get hurt or old or whatever.   As far as free agents pitchers go next year I would rather have Odorizzi back but I would rather have Bauer on a one year deal than Odo on a 5 year deal.   Of course depending on the numbers.

Absolutely.  If he holds to going year by year as a free agent, he is ideal for mid market teams.  You don't get saddled paying for any more than 1 bad year at worst. As for the off field stuff, his team mates won't care if he produces on the field.

Seems Falvey has answered this query by signing Donaldson. I was in favor of signing him, so I would also be in favor of Bauer.