Mets Rumors: Conflicting reports regarding offers to Trevor Bauer

It was a busy Tuesday morning on the hot stove section of Mets Twitter. New York Mets rumors took another interesting turn, with the latest involving the best pitcher on the market, Trevor Bauer.

It all began around 10:00 A.M. when USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweeted a story that the Mets have emerged as the favorites for Bauer with a “record-setting average annual contract offer.”

Nightengale writes that an “anonymous source” has confirmed that the Amazins have made an offer that would surpass Yankees’ pitcher Gerrit Cole’s current average annual value (AAV), which is currently an MLB-record $36 million.

Mets rumors: Heyman and Martino dispute Nightengale’s report

However, fellow national baseball insider Jon Heyman quickly contradicted Nightengale’s report, claiming that the Mets, while interested, have not made Bauer a formal offer.

Even further confusing the situation, SNY’s Andy Martino alleged that the Mets did indeed make an offer to Bauer, but have not eclipsed Cole’s record $36 million AAV.

Within a span of about 25 minutes, three prominent baseball reporters all issued conflicting reports on the nature of the negotiations between Bauer and the Mets.

But wait, there’s more! About 20 minutes after Martino’s tweet, Nightengale amended his report, now claiming that while the Mets have indeed made an offer, they have not offered more than the record $36 million AAV.

The latest version of Nightengale’s article currently features this disclaimer:

"Correction: A previous version of the headline and this story misstated the Mets offer to Trevor Bauer. The offer would approach Gerrit Cole’s $36 million average value on his nine-year, $324 million contract signed a year ago."

Everybody on the same page?

Where things currently stand, it seems that the Mets do indeed have a formal offer out to Bauer – although Heyman still disputes this – that is less than $36 million per year. It is unclear how many years the Mets are offering, but it is certainly less than the nine years Cole received in his record-setting deal.

Trevor Bauer and Mets rumors: Whatever is really going on with Bauer, the Mets should proceed with caution

In one of the least surprising developments ever, there is controversy and confusion stemming from a Nightengale report. While Nightengale is a respected reporter, he has developed a reputation, especially on Twitter for not exactly offering the most accurate information.

Considering the actual baseball side of things, Bauer would undoubtedly solidify a formidable Mets starting rotation.

Bauer is coming off a Cy Young wining season, albeit a shortened one, in which he led the National League in ERA, WHIP, shutouts, and hits per nine innings.

Despite the strong year, it is still a question whether Bauer is indeed worth the hype and the money he is sure to receive.

His only other season with a sub-3.00 ERA came in 2018. Besides 2018 and 2020, Bauer has been, at best, an average starting pitcher. Still, he remains the best pitcher on the market and would definitely improve any team’s rotation.

Besides his statistical inconsistencies, Bauer also comes with his off-field controversies. He has a strong social media presence and is known to jab with fans and writers.

One of Bauer’s worst social media incidents occurred in January 2019 when he harassed a female college student in a series of tweets and replies.

During the conflict, Bauer and the student traded barbs, with Bauer eventually going deep into the student’s Twitter history to bring to light seemingly irrelevant information, embarrassing the student on his high-profile platform.

Bauer eventually tagged and mentioned the student in over 80 tweets, causing the student unnecessary humiliation and aggravation.

Bauer is a unique and controversial personality who welcomes the spotlight. Many pundits believe Bauer would prefer signing with the Mets so he can grow his personal brand in New York.

If you ask me, given Bauer’s controversial nature and less than impressive baseball resume, I hope Jon Heyman is the correct reporter in all of this. I’d rather a more consistent pitcher and a better overall person playing for my favorite team.

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When it comes to Mets rumors involving Bauer, the club should pass.