Trevor Bauer fuels Houston Astros rumors with social media post

Trevor Bauer and the Houston Astros rumors continued to gain traction over the weekend after first breaking out last week.

After requesting a private tryout from Bauer last week, the Astros saw him run a bullpen session Friday. According to a social media post from Bauer on Saturday, the interest is apparently mutual.

Bauer posted a story on his Instagram account Saturday in which he reached into a rack of baseball caps and pulled out an orange Houston cap, suggesting he might soon join the Astros and adding more fuel to the intensification rumors swirling from both sides.

Bauer, 33, has not pitched in the major leagues since 2021 due to off-field issues. He spent much of the 2021 campaign on administrative leave and was suspended for 194 games in 2022 following MLB’s investigation into sexual assault allegations. Bauer never faced criminal charges and was never officially convicted of anything, but the Los Angeles Dodgers released him in 2023 rather than returning him to the active roster. After pitching for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in 2023, he now pitches in the Mexican League for the Diablos Rojos del Mexico.

Bauer hasn’t appeared in an MLB game in nearly three years, but he was one of the best pitchers in baseball before his absence. The talented right-hander was an All-Star in 2018 with the Cleveland Guardians and won the 2020 NL Cy Young Award for the Cincinnati Reds, leading the NL in ERA that year.

In 10 MLB seasons, Bauer is 83-69 with a 3.79 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 9.8 K/9 in nearly 1,300 career innings. He was also outstanding in the postseason with a 2.94 ERA in 33 2/3 innings in the postseason.

Despite Bauer’s polarizing presence and controversial history, it’s easy to see why Houston wants to sign him. The Astros’ rotation has been decimated by injuries this year, leading to a losing record and a disappointing start to the season. Houston has a lot of ground to make up if it wants to make the playoffs, and adding a proven starter like Bauer could provide a significant boost to its pitching staff.

Meanwhile, Bauer is looking for a second chance to prove he’s still an MLB-caliber pitcher after several years out of the league. Few teams have shown interest in him due to his personal baggage, but the Astros are apparently willing to overlook him.

Houston is already one of the most hated teams in MLB due to its 2017 cheating scandal and recent success. So the franchise doesn’t have much to lose on the public relations front. Signing Bauer would make a lot of sense for both sides, so don’t be surprised if they reach a deal sooner rather than later.