Should the Washington Nationals go after Starting Pitcher Trevor Bauer?

The Washington Nationals have been getting a head start in re-shaping their roster for 2021 and beyond. With Anibal Sanchez becoming a free agent, there is an open spot in the Nationals pitching rotation. Trevor Bauer might be a good idea for the Nationals to sign.

Trevor Bauer is getting a lot of buzz, and he is also making noise as he enters free agency. Bauer is coming off a career year on the rubber and has said that he only plans on signing a one-year deal; however, he might get offered more. However, recently, according to Bauer's agent Rachel Luba, Bauer is "open to & will consider ALL types of deals." The length of the contract is going to be a significant sticking point.

The Washington Nationals have a strong pitching rotation already. Having a non-ace role in Washington, D.C. would where he would be positioned. Bauer would be pitching behind many "aces" such as Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Patrick Corbin.

If Bauer wants a one-year contract, it could work in the Nationals favor. In this situation, Bauer could also become a bridge to the future Washington Nationals pitching prospects that are playing in the minor leagues right now. A one-year deal in the upwards of 40M might be a lot for a year of services, so a multi-year deal might be the route that many teams go. Bauer might be looking at 250M dollar offers this year.

While Bauer would be a great addition to the Nationals already strong rotation and would fit nicely, one concern is how he would fit in with the team's culture that Dave Martinez wants to build in Washington and does Mike Rizzo want to take another risk on a very outspoken pitcher? [calling Jonathan Papelbon] Bauer has a reputation for creating social media trouble, which the Nationals might want to avoid.

Trevor Bauer's Impressive Resume

Bauer has an impressive resume over his past couple of years on the mound. Since 2017, the Southern California product has pitched to a respectable 3.46 ERA, good for 22nd in baseball over that span. Additionally, in 2018 he finished in the top 10 in Cy Young voting and a solid 2019. In 2019, Bauer, while playing for two different teams (Cleveland and Cincinnati), finished with a win-loss record of 11-13, but his ERA was pretty high with a 4.48 in 213 innings pitched.

We aren't making a case for the Nationals to go after every big-name free agent out on the market. However, the Nationals should be players in the market to test what is available and what they can afford to bolster an already great roster.