5 teams that must avoid signing Trevor Bauer despite pitching needs

Teams that shouldn’t sign Trevor Bauer despite pitching needs: St. Louis Cardinals

If one team needs a veteran arm, it is the Cardinals. But there is no way Bauer is that arm for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals rotation includes Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery, and either Steven Matz, Andre Pallante, or Matthew Liberatore. The rotation has several question marks with youth and health.

Those questions are no reason to destroy the culture the organization has created. They would no longer be able to tout the Cardinal Way. Bauer is a controversial figure with a magnet for trouble, and the Cardinals are an organization that steers clear of such distractions.

Bauer’s cheap price tag may appeal to a fan base amped for another arm, but the headache Bauer would be more costly. It’s something the Cardinals shouldn’t do.

Teams that shouldn’t sign Trevor Bauer despite pitching needs: SF Giants

San Francisco and Bauer would not mix well. While Bauer champions many right-wing thoughts and actions, San Fransisco and the Bay Area are not welcoming to that mindset.

After a frustrating offseason that saw them miss out on Carlos Correa due to health concerns, the Giants couldn’t make a big splash in the market. Getting a healthy power arm at a bargain price might sound appealing. Sean Manaea and Logan Webb appear to be the main healthy rotation options for the Giants. The rotation includes Alex Wood, Alex Cobb, Anthony DeSciafani, Ross Stripling, and Jakob Junis.

At $720K, Bauer could sound like a bargain. Rather than being spiteful and a little petty, the Giants must remember the Dodgers released him and why. The Giants have never been a team to seek out the level of drama Bauer would bring. The Giants must remember their community and the hurt signing Bauer would bring.

Bauer doesn’t need to be on any MLB team’s radar.