Joe Girardi thinks there is a chance Trevor Bauer won’t be with the Cincinnati Reds by the time the trade deadline ends on Wednesday afternoon at 4 p.m.
The former New York Yankees manager, who is now working for MLB Network, said he thinks a team such as the Bombers, Astros or another contending team who needs pitching still could have a chance to land the controversial starter.
“My initial reaction when I saw Trevor Bauer going to the Cincinnati Reds was was they were going to flip him to a team that maybe couldn’t match up with Cleveland with the prospects they had or the ready-made major league players that they had,” Girardi said during a conversation with Ken Rosenthal. “Because for a year and two months, you know, to give up a prospect like (Taylor Trammell). That’s a lot for me in a sense when they might not be ready to win yet.”
While saying anything could happen before the deadline ends, Rosenthal seemed to think the Reds won’t flip Bauer and will look to contend next season with a strong top three in their rotation of Bauer, Luis Castillo and former Yankee Sonny Gray.
Sources with knowledge of the front office’s plans told The Cincinnati Enquirer that Bauer isn’t expected to be flipped in another trade.
On Tuesday night, the Cleveland Indians right-hander was traded to the Reds as part of a three-team deal that included the San Diego Padres. The Reds shipped outfielders Yasiel Puig and Franmil Reyes, utilityman Victor Nova left-handed pitching prospect Scott Moss to the Indians as part of the deal, according to multiple reports. The Indians also got right-hander Logan Allen from the Padres.
Reds outfield prospect Trammell was shipped to San Diego.
The 28-year-old Bauer was fined by Major League Baseball earlier Tuesday for heaving a ball from the pitcher’s mound over the center-field wall at Kansas City last weekend. Bauer, who is making $13 million this season, isn’t a free agent until after 2020.
If the Yankees or another team are still looking for a back-end-of-the-rotation starter, the Reds could move Tanner Roark or Alex Wood because both pitchers are free agents at the end of the season, according to The Enquirer.