Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos sparked a bench-clearing brawl after flexing, yelling and standing over St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Jake Woodford following a play at home plate on Saturday:

Things are getting heated at Great American Ball Park.

TV: Bally Sports Midwest
Stream: https://t.co/TPyeiR3ngh#STLCards pic.twitter.com/UIxHAZXJMs

— FanDuel Sports Network Midwest (@FanDuelSN_MW) April 3, 2021

The Cardinals didn't take kindly to Castellanos' actions, with Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina notably shoving the outfielder from behind before saying a few words. Castellanos was later ejected.

After the game, Castellanos provided a quote that showcased his respect for Molina, a nine-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion.

"That guy could punch me in the face and I'd still ask him for a signed jersey," Castellanos said, per C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic.

Molina is a nine-time Gold Glove winner who has played with the Cardinals for his entire 18-year MLB career. He's a lock for the Baseball Hall of Fame someday and one of the most respected players in the game. It's no surprise Castellanos respects Molina's stature even after a heated matchup, which the Reds won 9-6.

Speaking of the brawl, Derrick S. Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch provided some context for what went down:

Bringing the heat back to #Cardinals #Reds:

Game 1 -- Castellanos has a bat flip in a loss.
Game 2 -- Castellanos HBP from Woodford, scores on WP, flexes like WWF.
Game 3 -- Stay tuned. https://t.co/qJf4erjQoD

— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) April 3, 2021

The Reds and Cardinals will play the rubber match of their three-game series on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. ET in Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed starting pitcher Trevor Bauer to a three-year, $102 million contract, per Jon Heyman of WFAN Sports Radio and MLB Network.

Bauer has opt-outs after the 2021 and 2022 seasons, per Heyman. The 2020 National League Cy Young winner is set to be paid $40 million guaranteed in 2021 and $45 million guaranteed in 2022.

The right-hander went 5-4 with a 1.73 ERA and 0.80 WHIP last year. He struck out 100 batters in 73 regular-season innings before fanning 12 Atlanta Braves batters in 7.2 shutout frames during his lone playoff start.

Naturally, Bauer was set to cash in after a phenomenal year, and he's done just that by joining the defending World Series champions.

Remarkably, Bauer's 2021 salary puts him in the neighborhood of some other entire 26-man Opening Day rosters. Here's a look at the bottom six teams in projected 2021 payroll, per Cot's Contracts, compared to Bauer.

            

Bottom 6 Payrolls Plus Bauer

1. Seattle Mariners ($63.9 million)

2. Tampa Bay Rays ($60.3 million)

3. Baltimore Orioles ($56.7 million)

4. Miami Marlins ($55 million)

5. Cleveland ($49.1 million)

6. Pittsburgh Pirates ($40.5 million)

7. Los Angeles Dodgers SP Trevor Bauer ($40 million)

     

Notes

Third baseman Kyle Seager and starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi make up $35 million of the Mariners' projected payroll alone. Center fielder Kevin Kiermaier leads the way in Tampa Bay at $11.66 million.

The rebuilding Orioles would have the league's lowest projected payroll if not for first baseman/designated hitter Chris Davis, who is making over $21.1 million in the penultimate season of a seven-year, $161 million contract.

Outfielders Starling Marte and Corey Dickerson will combine to make $22 million in 2021 for the Miami Marlins, who are led by first-year general manager Kim Ng. Neither player is on the books next year as of now.

Bauer's old team in Cleveland has seen its payroll slashed below $50 million. Cleveland is the only MLB team that does not have a player making $10 million or more, with third baseman Jose Ramirez pacing the ballclub at $9.4 million.

Finally, the Pittsburgh Pirates' entire projected payroll is nearly eclipsed by Bauer's salary alone, with the team holding a $500,000 edge. Outfielder Gregory Polanco is due $11.6 million in 2021.

The Cincinnati Reds are "still hoping" to acquire shortstop Amed Rosario from Cleveland after trading for Kyle Holder from the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman. 

Cleveland landed Rosario from the New York Mets earlier this offseason when it traded Francisco Lindor. The Reds were hoping to sign Didi Gregorius, but the veteran infielder agreed to a two-year, $28 million deal to return to Philadelphia instead.

That made Holder available, per ESPN's Jeff Passan, but he hasn't satisfied Cincy's quest to add depth up the middle.

After signing Didi Gregorius to a two-year, $28 million deal, Phillies weren’t going to have room for Holder. Reds also were in on Didi and had been talking trade for other SS. Holder could get a crack at the starting job if Cincinnati doesn’t go out and get a veteran.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 30, 2021

Aside from Holder, the Reds have Jose Garcia and Kyle Farmer at shortstop. While Rosario has yet to break through as threat at the plate, he still provides an upgrade over Cincinnati's current options. 

Rosario saw his slash line tumble to .252/.272/.371 last season after batting .287/.323/.432 in 2019.

The hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park could help the 25-year-old turn his numbers around. It's just unclear what it would cost the Reds to land him.

Rosario has two years of arbitration eligibility remaining and is due to make $2.4 million in 2021. He also won't become a free agent until after the 2023 season, making him a cheaper option for a Cleveland team that's been bent on shedding payroll this offseason. 

The Reds have four prospects ranked in MLB's top 100, but it may not be worth it for the club to part with any in a weak National League Central, where only the St. Louis Cardinals look like a clear contender.

With Sonny Gray, Luis Castillo, Joey Votto, Mike Moustakas, Eugenio Suarez, Nick Castellanos, Nick Senzel and Shogo Akiyama all expected to play a major role on this year's club, Cincinnati is still capable of making a run. 

Rosario would help push that along. 

 

The Cincinnati Reds are reportedly "discussing" a potential trade pursuit of Cleveland Baseball Team shortstop Amed Rosario, who was acquired from the New York Mets in early January as part of the blockbuster deal sending Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco to the Mets.

Mike Puma of the New York Post reported Thursday the Reds are deciding whether acquiring Rosario "might make sense."

The 25-year-old Dominican Republic native looked like a star in the making during his breakout 2019 season. He posted a .287/.323/.432 triple-slash line with 19 stolen bases and 15 home runs in 157 games.

His production dipped in 2020. His OPS dropped from .755 to .643 with four homers and no steals across 46 appearances during the coronavirus-shortened campaign.

Rosario needs production at the plate to make up for his lackluster defense. He registered a negative-35 defensive runs saved figure across four years with the Mets, per FanGraphs.

The shortstop, who was ranked as the fifth-best prospect in the league in 2017, said in September he's at his best when given the freedom to be himself.

"Yeah, so for me it's been a tough couple of years. I think what's benefited me is when people underestimate me," Rosario told reporters. "That's kind of when I'm able to take advantage of that and be able to do what I want to do. I think sometimes the biggest problem is that some people want me to shine the way that they want me to shine and I think that plays to my advantage because I'm able to play my way."

Jose Garcia, the Reds' sixth-rated prospect, is penciled in as the club's starter at shortstop for 2021 after getting his first taste of MLB action last season. He struggled with plate discipline, striking out 26 times in 67 at-bats en route to a .206 on-base percentage.

Trading for Rosario would give Cincinnati more freedom to bring Garcia along slowly and, once he's ready, perhaps Rosario could change positions to reduce the impact of his defensive issues.

It's unclear what Cleveland is seeking in return for the shortstop, but he was a key piece of the package for Lindor and Carrasco, so it would probably want a couple building blocks for the future.

The New York Mets have interest in free-agent pitcher Trevor Bauer, although there are conflicting reports about the team's potential offer. 

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the deal would "approach" the annual salary of Gerrit Cole, who signed a nine-year, $324 million contract with the New York Yankees last offseason. However, Bauer's contract would be much shorter in length.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network countered that the Mets have interest, but they have not made as substantial an offer. 

There are still other teams interested, however, with Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reporting the Mets and Los Angeles Angels have the best shot.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic added the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays are in the mix.

It's a busy market for a player coming off the best season of his career. Bauer earned the NL Cy Young award after producing a 1.73 ERA, 0.795 WHIP and 100 strikeouts in 73 innings.

The 30-year-old has been inconsistent in his career, but he has a 3.18 ERA over the past three seasons with 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings.

He could provide a boost for the Mets, which had few reliable pitchers beyond Jacob deGrom in 2020.

The return of Marcus Stroman and the addition of Carlos Carrasco will certainly help, especially with Noah Syndergaard expected to return from Tommy John surgery at some point this season. However, adding Bauer could put the team over the top with one of the best rotations in the majors.

It could be enough to get New York back in the postseason after missing out in each of the last four years.

While the New York Mets may have interest in Trevor Bauer, they don't appear to be in any hurry to negotiate a deal with the reigning National League Cy Young winner. 

Per MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the Mets "aren't rushing" to sign Bauer and are focused on outfielders Jackie Bradley Jr., Enrique Hernandez and a bullpen arm. 

The Cincinnati Reds are reportedly among the teams that have shown interest in free-agent shortstop Andrelton Simmons.

According to MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the Reds are only one of "many teams" interested in the defensive stalwart.

Simmons, 31, is set to enter his 10th MLB season and has spent the past five campaigns with the Los Angeles Angels.

The Curacao native has been among the league's preeminent defensive shortstops since he broke in with the Atlanta Braves in 2012.

Although Simmons has never been named an All-Star, he is a four-time Gold Glover, a one-time Platinum Glove award winner and a one-time winner of the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year award.

Simmons has also been a much better offensive player during the second half of his career than he was during the first.

He broke out in 2017 when he hit .278 with 14 home runs and a then-career high 69 RBI. He also set personal bests with 77 runs scored and 19 stolen bases, finishing eighth in the American League MVP voting.

Simmons posted similar numbers the following season, hitting .292 with 11 homers, 75 RBI and 68 runs scored.

His production dipped to .264 with seven home runs and 40 RBI in 2019, but he bounced back a bit last season by hitting a career-best .297 over 30 games during the COVID-19-shortened campaign.

Any team that signs Simmons will primarily do so to improve their defense up the middle. The Reds are a candidate to do just that, as their primary shortstop last season was Freddy Galvis, who had minus-1 defensive runs saved at the position, per Baseball Reference.

Galvis also hit just .220 last season, so Simmons would represent an offensive upgrade as well, making him an obvious target for Cincinnati.

The Reds went 31-29 in 2020 and returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

If Cincinnati is going to repeat as a playoff team, maintaining last season's .986 fielding percentage—which ranked fifth in MLB—will be paramount.

Reports of Luis Castillo's impending trade to the New York Yankees have been greatly exaggerated.

"[The rumors] are completely false," Cincinnati Reds general manager Nick Krall told Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. "We intend to have [Castillo] as a member of our rotation for 2021."

Rumors of a potential Castillo trade had been floated across social media over the weekend, largely circulated under false pretenses and then picked up by fans. No credible reports of the impending trade existed, but the rumors reached such a fever pitch that Krall felt the need to pour water on the fire.

Castillo, 28, went 4-6 with a 3.21 ERA and 1.23 WHIP during the COVID-shortened 2020 season. He does not become a free agent until 2024 and will make just $4.2 million in 2021 after avoiding arbitration to sign a one-year contract.

While the Reds have been active in trade discussions this winter, Castillo is likely low on the list of players they're seeking to move. He's still cheap, highly effective and under team control, so barring an offer that bowls them over, it makes sense to wait out the market.

The Yankees have largely been quiet in this slow-moving winter but have glaring needs in their starting rotation behind Gerrit Cole. They signed Corey Kluber to a one-year contract last week, a move that comes with heavy risk because of the two-time Cy Young winner's recent history of arm trouble. Kluber has made only eight starts the last two seasons.

Jordan Montgomery and Domingo German are penciled into the projected rotation but also come with major questions. Montgomery has failed to impress throughout his four-year MLB career, while German missed all of 2020 while serving a suspension for domestic violence.

It seems almost certain the Yankees will continue to explore adding more pitching help, with Masahiro Tanaka's return seeming like a solid bet.

Adding a potential co-ace like Castillo appears increasingly unlikely as the offseason progresses. 

Trevor Bauer is arguably the biggest prize on the free-agency market this offseason, and the pitcher sat down and explained what he is looking for from potential destinations during a YouTube video titled "Making My Free Agency Decision."

"I wanted to sit here and tell you directly from me what's going to go into making my decision," he said.

Bauer explained he wants a "partnership" with his team and is not concerned with factors such as geography or the size of the media market. He pointed out he enjoyed his experience in the smaller markets of Cleveland and Cincinnati but grew up in the Los Angeles area so is comfortable in plenty of situations.

The 2020 National League Cy Young winner then provided a list of what he is looking for and said, "I want to be happy. I've spent a lot of time in my life being unhappy as a person, as a baseball player, as a teammate." 

Part of him being happy includes signing with a team that accepts his training regimen and data-driven approach. He also wants the team to be fine with his vlogging and showing fans behind-the-scenes looks during the season.

Bauer is also looking for "open discussion" about pitching every fourth day instead of the traditional fifth day and pointed to his data collection indicating he is better on shorter rest. He said he appreciated the Cincinnati Reds at least having those discussions with him.

He also said he wants to win a World Series and enjoys pitching in pressure-packed scenarios.

"My career's too short to be part of a rebuilding window," Bauer said.

Money will also play a factor, as he explained it would be "disingenuous" if he didn't mention that, "I want to be fairly compensated for the value I bring."

He should command plenty of it considering he won the Cy Young last year for the Reds with a 1.73 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 100 strikeouts in 73 innings and is just 29 years old and seemingly in the middle of his prime.

Whichever team signs him will immediately have a better chance of accomplishing his goal of winning a World Series.

Free agent starting pitcher Trevor Bauer is seeking a five-to-six-year deal worth at least $36 million per season, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman. 

Interested teams suggest Trevor Bauer seeks a 5- or 6-year deal for $36M to $40M (about $200M). Bauer is coming off a brilliant Cy Young season but the star market is slow. The record AAV is $36M by Bauer’s UCLA teammate Gerrit Cole. Agent Rachel Luba declines comment on talks.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 30, 2020

The report was quickly denied by Bauer.

Allllllsooooooo if you’re going to go out of your way to report that someone declines to comment you might want to make sure it’s ACTUALLY true (*it’s not*). Don’t you have to actually talk to someone for them to “decline”? Wouldn’t want to be fake news now would we Jonny boy? https://t.co/lyn4UIL58j

— Trevor Bauer (トレバー・バウアー) (@BauerOutage) December 30, 2020

The reigning National League Cy Young-winner played on a one-year, $17.5 million deal with the Cincinnati Reds last season. He's now seeking one of the largest contracts for a pitcher in MLB history. The New York Yankees gave Gerrit Cole a nine-year, $324 million deal ($36 million per year) last offseason. 

Spotrac puts Bauer's market value at $21.7 million per year and predicted him signing for four years, $87 million. 

Either way, the 29-year-old is in a position to ask for whatever he wants following a stellar 2020 season in which he earned 27 of 30 possible first-place votes to run away with the NL Cy Young award.

Bauer started 11 games with a 1.73 ERA, 0.795 WHIP, 100 strikeouts and 17 walks. He was charged with 14 earned runs total on the year and only nine of the 41 hits he gave up left the park—an astounding feat considering Cincinnati's Great American Ballpark has long been a haven for sluggers. 

The Reds have previously said they'll do "everything we can" to reach a new deal with the UCLA product, but they'll be competing with a number of teams who have a history of handing out mega-deals. That includes the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants. 

The San Diego Padres, another likely destination, are suddenly running out of starting rotation slots after trading for Tampa Bay Rays ace Blake Snell and completing a deal for Yu Darvish from the Chicago Cubs. 

Whoever lands Bauer will certainly be asked to hand over a large sum of money to do so. His 2020 season proved it's a gamble worth taking.