2020 NL Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer has signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers rotation now consists of Clayton Kershaw, Trevor Bauer, Walker Beuhler, Davis Price, and Dustin May. With Bauer to LA, I believe the Dodgers now possess the best rotation in the entire league, it was debatable they had the best rotation before Bauer signed with them, and this confirms it in my opinion. The Dodgers are now an even bigger threat.
They have an elite lineup, rotation, and a good bullpen. The Dodgers are the favorites to not only win the NL West but the World Series. The San Diego Padres seem to be the only other competitive team in the NL West, with Trevor Bauer signing with the Dodgers their goal of a postseason berth just got more challenging. The Padres should still make the playoffs via the Wild Card, but their hopes of a division title seem futile.
What Does This Mean for the Mets?
The Mets were one of the frontrunners for Bauer, and MLB reporter Bob Nightengale mistakenly reported that Bauer had signed with the Mets. The Mets seemed desperate to add another star player to their rotation. But unfortunately for them, Bauer chose a different path. So what next?
I assume the Mets will most likely continue their pursuit for another starting pitcher. The Mets have added a good amount of pitchers this offseason. The Mets re-signed Marcus Stroman, traded for Joey Lucchesi, traded for Carlos Carrasco in the Francisco Lindor trade, and traded for Jordan Yamamoto. Yamamoto is a depth move and will probably only make the rotation if there are injuries. The Mets also signed Jerad Eickhoff to a minor league contract to add depth. The Mets have looked at free agents Mike Foltynewicz, Rich Hill, and Jake Odorizzi. It is not unlikely to think the Mets will sign at least one of them. Another possibility is that the Mets could also look at trade options, however, it seems like their primary focus is adding starting pitchers via free agency at the moment. But if they find a good trade deal they would not hesitate to take it.
