Why not take a flier on a one year "prove it" deal for Trevor Bauer?

[Platoon Power]

14 hours ago, EddieTheCousin said:

Please no - the absolute last thing the Brewers need is this guy around the clubhouse.

His behavior prior the allegations was extremely disturbing... do a quick google search and you can see how he would harass females on twitter on a regular basis. Also... is he fully clear of all legal trouble? I know the one case is settled, but wasn't he accused by multiple women in multiple states.

MLB teams have stayed away for a reason - just because he didn't end up facing criminal charges doesn't mean he is innocent.

Absolute terrible human being.

I remember living in a country where people were innocent until proven guilty.  Now people are still guilty when they've been proven innocent...  

[TURBO]

Probably a moot point with the Junis signing.

[IntentionalHBP1]

3 minutes ago, TURBO said:

Probably a moot point with the Junis signing.

Junis is more long relief or spot starter though

[TURBO]

6 minutes ago, IntentionalHBP1 said:

Junis is more long relief or spot starter though

 

Jakob Junis is signing with the Brewers, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.

McDaniel says Junis will be treated as a starter, at least initially. We’d still love to see what Junis could do as a pure short reliever, and it’s rather bizarre that it’s never happened, given that Junis has one really effective pitch in his slider and nothing else that’s very good. The 31-year-old had a 3.86 ERA in 86 innings over 40 appearances for the Giants last season.

Related

• Milwaukee Brewers

12h ago

Source: Kiley McDaniel

[Matt Breen]

I'm not going to weigh in on whether to sign Bauer or not, but will say that I think that whatever team he signs with is going to have a PR headache to deal with. "Why are you giving millions of dollars to a sexual deviant/predator" will be the simplest question. That's not an easy thing to answer. As people have pointed out, Bauer has never been charged or convicted of anything. But there are some serious allegations. And the stuff he has admitted to is pretty sordid. Illegal? Perhaps not, but not exactly family time stuff.

Perhaps it won't be too bad - and the outrage won't emerge or take hold. But a team has to be prepared for all of it. And any team signing him is going to have to be wondering in the back of their mind if there's anything else that hasn't come to light. They'll be walking on eggshells hoping nothing new emerges. 

Teams are usually okay with taking on a player that has made a 'mistake'. A guy gets in a fight or gets a DUI or makes some inappropriate comments on Twitter or whatever. That's small peanuts compared to what Bauer has faced. Most club probably don't want the headache involved. 

I will say that I'm betting someone does sign him. It will be at a small base salary with tons of incentives. This will protect the team in case something else crops up and he can't pitch. Otherwise, they will say he's made mistakes, paid the price, never convicted, and vowed to be a better person - and add that he's gone if anything happens or comes out. What team will do this - who knows. I'm guessing a contender who is desperate for starting pitching. But I doubt the Crew do anything like this. But who knows.

[Guest]

35 minutes ago, Platoon Power said:

I remember living in a country where people were innocent until proven guilty.  Now people are still guilty when they've been proven innocent...  

Police declining to pursue charges is not the same thing as "proven innocent".

Again, go look at his online harassment of women PRIOR to the allegations.... it's disturbing stuff and in one instance he tweeted at a college aged girl 80 times in 24 hours because she said she didn't like him online.... he literally went through her profile and retweeted things. Do you honestly think that is normal behavior? Is this really the type of guy you want in the clubhouse around such a young club?

The reality of it is this - Bauer has the talent to pitch in the MLB. No question. Every team has chosen to pass on signing him to this point because of who he is and what he has done as a person. Professional sports teams have far more access to inside information than the public and can afford to do their own due diligence and investigate allegations further without disclosing their findings to the public.

If Bauer was as innocent as he claims to be, he would have long been signed.

[homer]

1 hour ago, Platoon Power said:

I remember living in a country where people were innocent until proven guilty.  Now people are still guilty when they've been proven innocent...  

People can be innocent of crimes while still being guilty of horrible judgment. I think owners are leery of signing a guy with a history of horrible judgment. 

[jay87shot]

If Tyreek Hill is allowed to play football, Bauer should have a pitching job. 

Sorry, I really detest Tyreek Hill.

[Platoon Power]

51 minutes ago, EddieTheCousin said:

Police declining to pursue charges is not the same thing as "proven innocent".

Again, go look at his online harassment of women PRIOR to the allegations.... it's disturbing stuff and in one instance he tweeted at a college aged girl 80 times in 24 hours because she said she didn't like him online.... he literally went through her profile and retweeted things. Do you honestly think that is normal behavior? Is this really the type of guy you want in the clubhouse around such a young club?

The reality of it is this - Bauer has the talent to pitch in the MLB. No question. Every team has chosen to pass on signing him to this point because of who he is and what he has done as a person. Professional sports teams have far more access to inside information than the public and can afford to do their own due diligence and investigate allegations further without disclosing their findings to the public.

If Bauer was as innocent as he claims to be, he would have long been signed.

There is something called due process for a reason.  Heaven forbid you or someone close to you is on the wrong end of an accusation.  I would hope you would get the chance to defend yourself before the court of opinion renders you guilty.  

It's harder to defend a lot of the other things that Bauer has done because he admits he's a troll and and enjoys pissing people off.  Adding a guy like that to the chemistry in the locker room is a valid concern. However, you're not getting entitled, top of the world Bauer, you're getting a guy who's been humbled, served his time and would be stupid to ruin his last chance.  The key would be the social media BS, so I would ask him straight up -  "Do you want to be an online influencer or do you want to be a starting pitcher?"  If he's willing to give up on being a youtuber then he would probably fit in on every team in the league.  I see no problem with a minimum deal full of incentives because you can cut him the first moment something goes wrong in the locker room.  If he turns out to be a model citizen then you got a piece that can help you make a playoff push or possibly be moved for a piece to help us out long term.  

 

The older I get, the more open I am to second chances.  For one, I'm thankful Alcorn State gave Donald Driver a 2nd chance and there's countless others that have worked out just as well.

[Guest]

29 minutes ago, Platoon Power said:

There is something called due process for a reason.  Heaven forbid you or someone close to you is on the wrong end of an accusation.  I would hope you would get the chance to defend yourself before the court of opinion renders you guilty.  

It's harder to defend a lot of the other things that Bauer has done because he admits he's a troll and and enjoys pissing people off.  Adding a guy like that to the chemistry in the locker room is a valid concern. However, you're not getting entitled, top of the world Bauer, you're getting a guy who's been humbled, served his time and would be stupid to ruin his last chance.  The key would be the social media BS, so I would ask him straight up -  "Do you want to be an online influencer or do you want to be a starting pitcher?"  If he's willing to give up on being a youtuber then he would probably fit in on every team in the league.  I see no problem with a minimum deal full of incentives because you can cut him the first moment something goes wrong in the locker room.  If he turns out to be a model citizen then you got a piece that can help you make a playoff push or possibly be moved for a piece to help us out long term.  

 

The older I get, the more open I am to second chances.  For one, I'm thankful Alcorn State gave Donald Driver a 2nd chance and there's countless others that have worked out just as well.

Really, really reaching by comparing Trevor Bauer's adult behavior to Donald Driver's upbringing.... I'm not gonna keep going back and forth on it.... but considering one of Bauer's first actions post settlement was to go on YouTube and cherry pick texts from an accuser to proclaim how he is really the victim.... I think it's pretty clear he isn't willing to do that and that he hasn't been "humbled" at all.

FWIW, I don't think he is in the clear legally ~ by all accounts, it only looks like 1 of the cases have been settled and he still has pending cases in other states.... I could be wrong, I'm really not interested in digging further into it... reading how he implied he'd kill one of these women over a text message was enough for me.

Serious question, do you not see an issue with the way this man conducts himself as a human being? I'm all for second chances.... but what about his behavior makes you think he is a changed man and is deserving of a second chance at this point?

Yes... Mookie Betts said some nice things.... a lot of other teammates have not shared his feelings... many Dodgers were happy he did not come back.

I'll say it again - MLB teams have much greater resources to investigate claims like these.... moreso than the police themselves in many instances.

Bauer has stayed unsigned for a reason.

[Platoon Power]

9 minutes ago, EddieTheCousin said:

Really, really reaching by comparing Trevor Bauer's adult behavior to Donald Driver's upbringing.... I'm not gonna keep going back and forth on it.... but considering one of Bauer's first actions post settlement was to go on YouTube and cherry pick texts from an accuser to proclaim how he is really the victim.... I think it's pretty clear he isn't willing to do that and that he hasn't been "humbled" at all.

FWIW, I don't think he is in the clear legally ~ by all accounts, it only looks like 1 of the cases have been settled and he still has pending cases in other states.... I could be wrong, I'm really not interested in digging further into it... reading how he implied he'd kill one of these women over a text message was enough for me.

Serious question, do you not see an issue with the way this man conducts himself as a human being? I'm all for second chances.... but what about his behavior makes you think he is a changed man and is deserving of a second chance at this point?

Yes... Mookie Betts said some nice things.... a lot of other teammates have not shared his feelings... many Dodgers were happy he did not come back.

I'll say it again - MLB teams have much greater resources to investigate claims like these.... moreso than the police themselves in many instances.

Bauer has stayed unsigned for a reason.

OK, how about Quintez Cephus?  He messed up badly with gambling but he wasn't a rapist like he was alleged to be.  You would think we wouldn't be so quick to judge and wait for the process to run it's course.

I'm not going to pretend I know everything about Bauers case but he's actually countersuing the 4th woman for extortion.

Quote

In his countersuit against the woman, Bauer denied assaulting or sexually assaulting the woman.

Bauer’s countersuit claimed he and the woman had a “single, consensual sexual encounter” in December 2020 during which his condom broke while having sex. After that encounter, Bauer’s countersuit says, the woman claimed she was pregnant and demanded $1.6 million from the pitcher to terminate the pregnancy.

Bauer’s countersuit said he declined that demand and instead offered to “support her decision, including paying any necessary medical expenses or child support payments required by law.” His countersuit says he ultimately paid the woman more than $8,000 to terminate her pregnancy.  However, the countersuit says Bauer now believes the woman “fabricated her pregnancy to try and extort him for money.”

https://www.latimes.com/sports/dodgers/story/2023-06-13/trevor-bauer-sexual-assault-lawsuit-fourth-woman-dodgers

The 2nd and 3rd women raise red flags to anyone thinking critically.  If what they claim happened, why did they wait years until a lawsuit against Bauer to come out?  I would hope and expect any woman to go to the police immediately afterwords if something that awful had happened to them. 

In regards to how he conducts himself?  The main issue from what I've seen is that he's more concerned about being a social influencer and is willing to do anything for a reaction.  He's a wannabe Conor McGregor in a sport that lacks athletes that stand out so he believes that any publicity is a good publicity when you're trying to build a following / brand.  His entire negative persona is attached to getting clicks which is why I would only sign him if he agreed to stop it while he was with the team.   He talks about it all in this interview.  

 

 

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, Platoon Power said:

If what they claim happened, why did they wait years until a lawsuit against Bauer to come out?  I would hope and expect any woman to go to the police immediately afterwords if something that awful had happened to them.

Thread has gone off the rails - gonna agree to disagree with you on all points regarding Bauer.... stalking and harassing females online isn't an attempt at being a "social influencer". Full stop.

Let's be real here - if we are going to critically think about this - what's more likely:
Trevor Bauer really is a victim and is the most targeted athlete in the modern era of sports and celebrity of false accusations.... MLB teams have looked into it and confirmed they are false accusations but still pass on him.
OR
A man who demonstrated disturbing behavior on his twitter account towards women prior to these allegations, also treated them women poorly in real life. MLB teams dug further and only found more corroborating evidence?

Last thing I'll say on it.... I strongly encourage you to rethink your stance on the reporting of sexual assaults.

It's extremely well documented that women often do not report for a variety of reasons (not gonna list them all here) and when they do, it's an incredibly long and rigorous process where women are often subjected to reliving the trauma and doubted throughout.... and even then, it is often difficult to not only convict but even prosecute.... heck, look at the recent issue of the backlog of rape tests in our own home state of Wisconsin.... IIRC it was over 6,000 in 2017!!!

[homer]

Time to move on, guys. I hid a couple of posts. Keep it about Bauer and his fit with the Brewers. 

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

On 2/5/2024 at 4:52 PM, brewers888 said:

I definitely think he is being blackballed which is a shame since he was proven not guilty and that the girl was trying to blackmail him. Everyone talking about him being a jerk without knowing the guy is completely uncalled for especially since Mookie Betts stood up for the guy. This is a situation where we can pick up a top of the rotation starter for cheap and we should take full advantage of it.

Weren't there rumors that we tried to sign Aroldis Chapman with the intention of then trading Devin. Well Aroldis is a far worse person than Bauer yet we were willing to sign him.

Its a little tiresome seeing people disparage someones character when the guy was proven to have been blackmailed and was innocent. 

I don't know Bauer. But there are literally hundreds of articles out there that call his character into question completely separate of the sexual predator allegations. 

I am not against the Brewers acquiring players with strong, sometimes unlikable personalities. If they contribute to the team's overall success, it can work. However, you typically need a strong clubhouse with solid veteran leadership to overcome potential chemistry issues, and I'm just not sure at this juncture if the Brewers really have that. Other than Yelich, Adames and Hoskins, this team is trending very young, and that makes the apple cart typically a little more unstable,

[jerichoholicninja]

The vast majority of pro athletes are ego driven, alpha male, narcsist turds. I doubt he would cause more problems in a clubhouse than anyone else. As for any PR concerns, fans hate this team for trading Burnes and "stealing" tax payer money. Any PR trouble because of Bauer may come as a relief.

[brewmann04]

any other FA pitchers that might intrest

[Jack]

Two things seem clear...

1) The two sides in this discussion will never agree on this.
2) The Brewers wouldn't risk the backlash for signing him.

I'd support locking this thread because it's irretrievably off the rails.

[Dave_Not_Here]

Bauer was on some podcast yesterday (I forget the name, I'm sure the highlights are somewhere), and he is saying he would sign for league minimum plus incentives just to play this season. 

If that is all it takes to sign him, just do it already.  It is riskier to NOT sign him at that price point. 

[Guest]

FWIW I think a team would have signed Bauer IF he had come out after the settlement and said something to the effect of "I'm happy to put this behind me and focus on resuming my baseball career" and maybe even deleted his social accounts to prove how serious he was about that.... instead.... he went on the attack, played the victim and used his social accounts to reopen things with one of his accusers.

He's had issues in every single clubhouse he has been in since high school, I just don't get what anyone sees that suggests changed behavior here.

[Fear The Chorizo]

40 minutes ago, EddieTheCousin said:

FWIW I think a team would have signed Bauer IF he had come out after the settlement and said something to the effect of "I'm happy to put this behind me and focus on resuming my baseball career" and maybe even deleted his social accounts to prove how serious he was about that.... instead.... he went on the attack, played the victim and used his social accounts to reopen things with one of his accusers.

He's had issues in every single clubhouse he has been in since high school, I just don't get what anyone sees that suggests changed behavior here.

In the specific situation that led to him getting suspended during his prime as a pitcher, Bauer was the victim.  Dislike him for shining light on it if you want or criticize him for putting himself in that situation to begin with based on terrible judgment, but I'm not going to be upset at him for trying to clear his name.  And he's not trying to say he's a saint in all this, either.  He has spoken about making reckless decisions and mistakes in the past - and has openly stated he's tried to learn from that and change his off the field personal life.  I'd honestly rather have a person continue to be out there publicly dealing with what comes with trying to earn a second chance rather than effectively canceling himself by deleting social media/shying away from publicity/etc. 

What people see who are open to signing Bauer on this type of deal is a pitcher who's won a Cy Young award and could have easily won more had he been able to pitch in MLB the past 3 seasons - he's proven to be a durable starter to give a team 175+IP a season.  Without the baggage, some well-earned and now some assumed/implied, a pitcher of Bauer's caliber would be making $30+M a season.

[jerichoholicninja]

1 hour ago, EddieTheCousin said:

He's had issues in every single clubhouse he has been in since high school, I just don't get what anyone sees that suggests changed behavior here.

Can someone share these issues because I don't really remember any.  I know the DBacks traded him because they didn't like his training techniques - a lot of which are now commonplace.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

4 minutes ago, jerichoholicninja said:

Can someone share these issues because I don't really remember any.  I know the DBacks traded him because they didn't like his training techniques - a lot of which are now commonplace.

Older story, but this pretty much sums up part of it. Easy to gloss over when you are one of the top starters in MLB. Less so when you are performing like a middling #3-4 starter.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/news/trevor-bauer-is-brutally-honest-sometimes-just-brutal

[Dave_Not_Here]

39 minutes ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

In the specific situation that led to him getting suspended during his prime as a pitcher, Bauer was the victim.  Dislike him for shining light on it if you want or criticize him for putting himself in that situation to begin with based on terrible judgment, but I'm not going to be upset at him for trying to clear his name.  And he's not trying to say he's a saint in all this, either.  He has spoken about making reckless decisions and mistakes in the past - and has openly stated he's tried to learn from that and change his off the field personal life.  I'd honestly rather have a person continue to be out there publicly dealing with what comes with trying to earn a second chance rather than effectively canceling himself by deleting social media/shying away from publicity/etc. 

What people see who are open to signing Bauer on this type of deal is a pitcher who's won a Cy Young award and could have easily won more had he been able to pitch in MLB the past 3 seasons - he's proven to be a durable starter to give a team 175+IP a season.  Without the baggage, some well-earned and now some assumed/implied, a pitcher of Bauer's caliber would be making $30+M a season.

This!  1,000 time this!  All of it!

This franchise has found a way to deal with K-Rod and with Matt Bush, so it isn't like we're always fielding a roster of future Sunday school teachers here. 

 

Arnold says the Brewers are going to be competitive THIS season.  We have a rotation that COULD BE good, but needs to have fragile pitchers stay healthy, and younger pitchers need to take that next stop.  

 

Bauer, whether you like him or not, would very likely lengthen this rotation, pitch well, is durable, and is also affordable.  Sure, Snell or Montgomery are better, but we're not shopping at that price point anyways.

 

If we really are trying to compete, he has the best upside remaining available we could realistically target, without having to make a trade.  Again, it is much riskier not to sign him at this point. 

 

 

[Guest]

6 hours ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

Bauer was the victim. 

At best.... he likes to choke women until they pass out and punch them in the head while having relations with them.... remember, the issue here is consent... not if he did these things.

Carry on how he is a victim though...

[jerichoholicninja]

2 hours ago, Ron Robinsons Beard said:

Older story, but this pretty much sums up part of it. Easy to gloss over when you are one of the top starters in MLB. Less so when you are performing like a middling #3-4 starter.

https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/news/trevor-bauer-is-brutally-honest-sometimes-just-brutal

Seems like a Rickey Henderson or Reggie Jackson. They didn't have trouble finding jobs.