Written by Matt Ferreira
Image via Adam Hagy/MLB Photos via Getty Images
Friday afternoon, Trevor Bauer announced in a Youtube video that he has agreed to a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is reported to have signed a three year contract worth $102 million, with the option to opt out after the first and second year. Bauer’s contract is very front loaded with 85 of the 102 million dollars coming in the first two years being paid $40 million in 2021 and $45 million in 2022 (more than the Pirates, Indians, Rays, Marlins, Royals, Athletics and Orioles 2020 payrolls)
Los Angeles is Bauer’s hometown growing up in Santa Clarita, CA and going to college at UCLA. Much like former teammate at UCLA Gerrit Cole, he signed with his childhood favorite team for big bucks. The Dodgers are currently the reigning champions and just showed they are not messing around in 2021. Trevor Bauer was the 2020 NL Cy Young winner having a 1.73 ERA in 11 starts and leading the Reds to a playoff appearance. He dominated all year long and was untouchable with a .795 WHIP and 100 strikeouts. Adding Bauer to the rotation of Kershaw, Buehler, Urias, and Price, the Dodgers have one of the best rotations in baseball.
While the Dodgers just paid for Bauer, this signing could help the entirety of the Dodgers rotation. Bauer has been outspoken about pitchers' use of foreign substances in pitching. Pine tar and other substances can increase RPM (rotations per minute) making fastballs faster and harder to hit, and making breaking balls move more. In a tweet from Trevor Bauer in 2018 he said he could increase his RPM by 400 and showed predictions for what his stats could look like if he “didn’t have morals”.
My fastball is about 2250 rpm on average. I know for a fact I can add 400 rpm to it by using pine tar. Look how much better I would be if I didn’t have morals... pic.twitter.com/o62kWkxWAy
— Trevor Bauer (トレバー・バウアー) (@BauerOutage) April 11, 2018
Well, Bauer has had his RPM jump by 451 this year, coincidence? I think not. In 2016 Bauer met with a chemical engineer to experiment with substances to see which one can increase RPM the most, meaning Bauer may have a formula to the best substance to increase RPM in the league. Giving this substance to players such as Clayton Kershaw, David Price, and Walker Buehler who have already been dominant in their careers can bring the Dodgers to the next level.
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