NL Central Rival Just Got Better
I know a lot of folks will only respond with some sort of mention of him throwing a ball over the centerfield wall or drone injuries, but the Cincinnati Reds just acquired Cleveland Indians starting pitcher, Trevor Bauer.
Regardless of what you may think of Bauer, he is a strong competitive pitcher. He has the stuff to make the Reds rotation a lot stronger. The potential issue that the Reds might face is how much Bauer bangs his own drum.
As one of the focal stories of MVP Machine (a phenomenal read) the authors explain how much Bauer tends to just be a different kind of cat. From a young age, Bauer learned methods of training – which are significantly different from traditional methods – and has created a near Cy Young Award winner.
But, his different approach also labels him as uncoachable and potential cancer in the clubhouse. This is why Arizona gave up on him so quickly and Terry Francona mostly got along with the strange Bauer. Francona and the Indians allowed him to mostly be himself, and they also tried to learn as much as they could from his abstract training methods.
The deal, as Jeff Passan reports, is a three-team deal including the San Diego Padres. Cleveland will receive Yasiel Puig, no stranger to criticism himself and Franmil Reyes, Logan Allen, and Taylor Trammell. Puig, Reyes, and Allen will go to Cleveland, Bauer to the Reds, and Trammell will go to San Diego in the deal.
