Los Angeles Angels: 5 trade options for rotation help

Trevor Bauer, RHP, Cincinnati Reds

Trevor Bauer struggled mightily last season after being traded from the Cleveland Indians to the Cincinnati Reds at the July 31 deadline and can become a free agent next winter after signing a one-year, $17.5 million contract with the Reds in January to avoid arbitration.

As good as Bauer was when he was named an All-Star in 2018 while posting the second-best ERA in the American League at 2.21, he was awful after he was traded to the Reds.

He put up a 3.79 ERA and 1.213 WHIP in 156.2 innings over 24 starts for Cleveland, striking out 185 and walking 63 while allowing 22 homers.

But the wheels fell off when he moved to southern Ohio, to the tune of a 6.39 ERA in 10 starts covering 56.1 innings. He struck out 68, walked 19 and gave up 12 homers, nearly two dingers per nine innings, one year after leading the AL by allowing 0.5 homers per nine.

Even with as good as Bauer was in 2018, that season was the anomaly. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2014, Bauer’s never had another season with an ERA lower than 4.18 or a WHIP of less than last season’s combined 1.249.

And much like Matthew Boyd earlier, how much upside could the 29-year-old Bauer have left?

Throw in his harsh critique of commissioner Rob Manfred over baseball’s handling of the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal and Bauer might just be more trouble than an organization wants to bring on.