NL West

The Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday bolstered their status as the favorites to win the 2021 World Series with the signing of free-agent starting pitcher Trevor Bauer.

B/R Betting tweeted that the Dodgers now have plus-425 (17-4) odds to win it all for the second year in a row, via DraftKings:

Dodgers are signing Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer 🔥

They’re +425 to repeat as World Series Champs

(Odds via @DKSportsbook) pic.twitter.com/tTb8p7xupn

— br_betting (@br_betting) February 5, 2021

Bauer announced Friday in a YouTube video that he had decided to sign with L.A.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Bauer agreed to a three-year, $102 million contract with opt-outs after the first and second years. Passan noted Bauer will make $40 million in 2021 and $45 million in 2022 if he opts in.

In Bauer, the Dodgers added the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner to a starting rotation that already included Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler.

Last season, which was Bauer's only full campaign with the Cincinnati Reds, he went 5-4 with a 1.73 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 73 innings. He also played a huge role in the Reds' reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

Before getting traded to the Reds at the 2019 deadline, Bauer pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cleveland. His only All-Star season was with Cleveland in 2018 when he posted a 12-6 record with a 2.21 ERA and 221 strikeouts in 175.1 innings.

Over his nine-year career, the 30-year-old Bauer has gone 75-64 with a 3.90 ERA and 1,279 strikeouts in 1,190 innings.

The Dodgers already had one of the best pitching staffs in MLB, as Kershaw and Buehler led them to their first World Series title since 1988.

Now, Bauer will headline the rotation along with Kershaw and Buehler, while veteran David Price and youngsters Julio Urias and Dustin May figure to compete for the fourth and fifth spots.

The Dodgers also still boast one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball with Mookie Betts, Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager and Max Muncy.

While many things can happen to derail a season, including injuries, the Dodgers have every right to be considered the odds-on favorites after winning last year's World Series and adding another ace to their rotation.

The National League West rival San Diego Padres could have something to say about it after acquiring starting pitchers Yu Darvish and Blake Snell this offseason, but the Dodgers will remain the team to beat until another club proves otherwise.

   

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The reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers bolstered their chances of a repeat Friday with the reported addition of Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer to their starting rotation. 

According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Bauer's getting a three-year, $102 million contract with a record-setting $45 million salary for 2022. The deal includes opt-out clauses after each of the first two seasons.

Here's a look at the Dodgers' updated star-studded rotation:

• Walker Buehler
• Clayton Kershaw
• Trevor Bauer
• Julio Urias
• David Price

The blockbuster signing also brings L.A.'s projected payroll to an MLB-high $194.8 million for 2021, per Spotrac.

Bauer was terrific for the Cincinnati Reds in 2020. He posted a microscopic 1.73 ERA and 0.79 WHIP with 100 strikeouts in 73 innings across 11 starts to take home the NL Cy Young Award.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m0VvBKlv_4

If he can come anywhere close to that form after joining L.A., and David Price can make a seamless transition back to the mound after opting out of last season, the Dodgers' rotation has seemingly unlimited potential and could be one of the best in MLB history.

Add in a lineup with eight position players who could all hit upwards of 20 home runs and a solid bullpen, and Los Angeles should be viewed as the clear favorite heading into the 2021 campaign.

Meanwhile, Bauer decided to sign a multiyear contract but the opt-out years give him the freedom he's always said he'd desire when signing with a team.

"I do intend to sign one-year contracts my entire career," Bauer told reporters in 2019. "I'm not against signing with the same team by any means, but the reasoning behind that is I want to be on a contender."

The Dodgers feature the most complete roster in baseball and nearly unmatched financial flexibility, so there probably won't be a reason for him to opt out after one year, but he retained the option.

His signing also puts pressure on MLB's other contenders to keep adding to their own rosters as they look to keep pace with the defending champs.

The Los Angeles Dodgers hit another home run by reportedly landing the top pitcher in free agency, agreeing to a deal with Trevor Bauer, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman. 

Bauer confirmed the news on YouTube:

MLB Network's Mark Feinsand reported the details:

Trevor Bauer gets $102M for 3 years from Dodgers, per source. He has opt outs after each of the first two years; $40M in 2021, $45M in 2022. He'll be the highest-paid player in MLB history in '21, then again in '22. Good job by @AgentRachelLuba & Jon Fetterolf of @zssports_law.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 5, 2021

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the Mets offered more money to lure Bauer to Queens, but the pitcher opted to return to his native Southern California instead. 

The signing comes less than two weeks before pitchers and catchers are expected to report to spring training. Bauer's agent, Rachel Luba, confirmed on Thursday the reigning National League Cy Young winner was down to his final two teams, with many around baseball believing them to be the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers.

One year after posting a 1.73 ERA and 0.795 WHIP with 100 strikeouts in 73 innings, the righty becomes one of the highest-paid starters in baseball.

The NL West has been a two-team arms race between the Dodgers and San Diego Padres all offseason. The Dodgers just unquestionably took the lead. 

Bauer not only joins the reigning World Series champions but also helps establish arguably the best starting rotation in baseball alongside Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, David Price and Julio Urias—to say nothing of top prospects Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin.

Kershaw, Price and Bauer have already combined for five Cy Young awards. 

That should give Los Angeles a boost when it comes to matching up against the Padres' rotation of Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, Dinelson Lamet, Chris Paddack, Joe Musgrove and Mike Clevinger.

The Dodgers were already expected to enter the 2021 season with the highest payroll in MLB at $194.8 million. Bauer's deal will only add to that total.

But this signing also helps keep Bauer out of the hands of a league rival in the Mets, who head back to the drawing board as they look to fill out their rotation. 

The San Francisco Giants continue to look at the free-agent market for starting pitchers.

Per MLB Network's Jon Morosi, Jake Odorizzi is among the starters San Francisco has shown interest in signing before spring training begins. 

The Giants have already made additions to their rotation this offseason, signing Anthony DeSclafani and Alex Wood to one-year contracts. However, both come with significant question marks.

DeSclafani had a career-high 7.22 ERA in nine appearances for the Cincinnati Reds in 2020, while Wood has been limited to 16 appearances over the past two seasons because of injuries.

Odorizzi also had a rough 2020 for the Minnesota Twins. The right-hander had a 6.59 ERA in just four starts and was placed on the injured list three different times.

Prior to last season, Odorizzi averaged 30 starts per year from 2014 to 2019, and the 30-year-old had a 3.88 ERA and 957 strikeouts in 991.2 innings during that six-season stretch.

The Giants are in a difficult position by virtue of playing in the same division as the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. It will be hard for them to challenge for the National League West against those teams, but they could emerge as a wild-card contender in 2021.

After dealing Nolan Arenado to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Colorado Rockies are hanging on to one of their other stars.  

ESPN's Buster Olney reported Wednesday that the team is "not willing to discuss" trades that include shortstop Trevor Story. 

Even Rockies owner Dick Monfort expressed sadness about the Arenado deal, but team leadership has stuck behind its desire to keep Story on the roster even though he will become a free agent at the end of the coming season. 

General manager Jeff Bridich told reporters Tuesday that the Rockies "certainly cherish" having Story on the roster, and he expects the shortstop to be with the team when the 2021 season opens. 

The looming free-agency period had raised questions about Story's future considering the team was open about its willingness to trade Arenado since he could opt out of his contract in 2022 or 2023. 

Story was upset by the team's decision to move Arenado.

"Nolan's one of my best friends, baseball aside, so this hurts," Story said, per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. "He's the best third baseman in the game. I'm sad and a little frustrated to be honest. All I can do is focus on playing the best baseball I can for my teammates and the fans. They deserve it."

The two-time All-Star finished the pandemic-shortened season slashing .289/.355/.519 with 28 RBI and 11 home runs while leading the National League with 15 stolen bases and four triples. 

He is due $17.5 million in base salary in what is currently his final season under contract in Colorado.

Since moving the face of their franchise in Arenado, it's imperative that the Rockies hang on to the 28-year-old Story if they want to have any hopes of competing for the postseason in 2021. 

San Francisco Giants minor league outfielder Drew Robinson attempted to take his own life on April 16, 2020. He survived and has now shared his story with ESPN's Jeff Passan to help those who have mental health issues and encourage them to talk about what they're going through.

Passan wrote about Robinson's awareness regarding the number of adults and young people who have considered suicide in respect to the ballplayer's willingness to tell his story.

"He knows that sometimes life is like a vise, unrelenting, cranking tighter and tighter. He knows how crippling that can be. He knows that there is a burgeoning mental health crisis in this country, that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 11% of American adults surveyed in June considered suicide, that suicidal ideation among 18- to 24-year-olds was at 26%. He knows this is difficult to talk about. He knows it's even more difficult to suffer through. He knows because he lived it."

Robinson noted the importance of working at improving his mental health on a daily basis, saying that reaching that goal is always a work in progress.

"I don't have it all figured out, but I'm working on it. It's not something that you just achieve. You don't just achieve self-growth. You don't get to a point where you just have it and you don't have to work at it again. It's not like a tool that you just get and you just have it forever. You don't get to a point where, 'Oh, I'm happy today. That's it. I'm going to be happy for the rest of my life.' It's the same way in the opposite. 'I had a rough day.' That doesn't mean the rest of your life is going to suck."

He also discussed the importance of reaching out to people for help regardless of how big or small an issue may be.

"I never will hold back from asking or telling someone, even if it's something simple. 'Hey, this little thing's annoying me today.' Just tell them. They want to hear it. People that love you want to hear it, and if you don't have people that love you, therapists want to hear it. People want to help you. Professionals want to help you. So many people in this world are willing to help anyone going through these things. It might be a specific situation that makes it feel like you're alone, but you're never alone."

Robinson played 100 games for the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals in three seasons from 2017-2019. He inked a non-guaranteed minor league contract with the Giants in Jan. 2020.

Robinson's treatment began with 12 days at the UMC Trauma Center before five more days at a psychiatric hospital. He had numerous hospital stays, underwent four surgeries and now has a prosthetic eye after surviving the gunshot wound to his head.

Robinson's ongoing wellness efforts also involve following a routine every day, including playing with his dogs, multiple workouts, calls to loved ones and friends and meditation. He also has weekly calls with multiple therapists.

In addition, Robinson said he does things to fill his time and achieve other goals, such as working for Postmates for extra money. He also gets extra sleep and keeps close tabs on his nutrition.

To close his nights, Robinson writes in a journal, always ending each entry with: "I LOVE MYSELF, AND I LOVE MY LIFE!!"

In October, Giants GM Farhan Zaidi and manager Gabe Kapler told Robinson they wanted him to remain with the organization and believe he could still play in the majors. He'll attend spring training on a minor league contract.

       

If you or someone you know is in immediate crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 for 24/7 access to a trained counselor. You can also contact the Crisis Text Line by texting "HOME" to 741741. For more information about ongoing support and mental health resources, contact the HelpLine at the National Alliance on Mental Illness by calling 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or emailing info@nami.org.

Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort told reporters on Tuesday that he understood fan frustration after the team traded superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado to the St. Louis Cardinals for pitcher Austin Gomber, minor league infielders Elehuris Montero and Mateo Gil and minor league pitchers Tony Locey and Jake Sommers.

But Monfort still believes the Rockies will be a competitive team without Arenado. 

"We have an extremely talented team," he said. "They are built to compete. It is time for them to take the next step."

General manager Jeff Bridich concurred.

"There are levels and variations of the rebuild process, but this certainly is not a total teardown and rebuild like certain teams have chosen to go," he said. "I think if that were the case that certain players would have already been traded."

One of those players might be star shortstop Trevor Story, who will hit free agency after the 2021 season. Trading Arenado and Story in one year might be a bridge too far for Rockies fans in severely depleting the team's offense, though Story might depart in a year regardless. 

Either way, Monfort believes the team's pitching is good enough to take the Rockies to the next level. Colorado (26-34) finished three games out of the last wild-card spot during an expanded postseason field.

"My biggest belief is we have built pitching and we have done it internally. We have a lot of talented pitchers," said Monfort, who has been part of the franchise for 24 years and has had sole control of the team since 2011. "... Jeff has done a good job of getting young arms and not having to go out onto the free-agency market. I think the pitching is really a core that we've never had in our history."

It's hard to imagine the Rockies being better, however, after losing a five-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glover in Arenado who hit at least 37 homers in five straight seasons between 2015-19 before 2020's pandemic-shortened campaign. His eight home runs in 48 games last year did represent something of a down year, putting him on pace to hit 27 homers in a 162-game season. 

I think Nolan Arenado no longer playing baseball for the Colorado Rockies is a signal of total organizational failure, one that smart people would analyze to ensure that it won’t happen again. I don’t get the sense that the owner and GM see it the same way.

— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) February 2, 2021

Best idea I've heard from rival evaluator on how the Rockies should've handled Nolan Arenado this winter: Give him the window to opt out immediately. No matter the response, they would've been in a better position to deal with his situation.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 31, 2021

When a 27-homer pace is seen as a down year, though, you're talking about a superstar player. 

But Arenado was being paid like one, due $199 million over the final six seasons of his current deal. Arenado added a seventh season to the deal in the trade and exchanged an opt-out clause for after the 2021 season to either one he could exercise following either the 2022 or 2023 campaign, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

"$50 MILLION DOLLARS?!" 🤯

The Rockies are sending the Cardinals more money in the Arenado trade than they have spent on any free agent in the last three years. pic.twitter.com/VvYnYy9mbZ

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) February 2, 2021

In the final deal, the Rockies will send $51 million to the Cardinals to pay down Arenado’s salary, per source. The majority of that will be due after Arenado’s two opt-out clauses have passed -- assuming he hasn’t opted out of his contract.

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 2, 2021

"When I signed in Colorado, I signed it with the intent of being there for the rest of my career," Arenado told reporters. "It wasn't meant to be. The last few years have been tough."

But Arenado is hoping St. Louis will become his new baseball home for the long term.

"I plan on sticking around," he said. "That's my goal. I plan on staying here for a long time. I said that once in Colorado, but I truly mean it. I'm not worried about [opting out]."

The Rockies didn't risk the possibility of an opt-out. It's hard to imagine they'll be better off for it, at least this year, no matter how Monfort and Bridich try to spin the situation. 

Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story is sad to see his talented teammate go.  

"Nolan's one of my best friends, baseball aside, so this hurts," Story said of the trade that sent Nolan Arenado to the St. Louis Cardinals, per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. "He's the best third baseman in the game. I'm sad and a little frustrated to be honest. All I can do is focus on playing the best baseball I can for my teammates and the fans. They deserve it."

The trade was made official Monday with the Rockies sending Arenado and cash to offset part of his contract to the Cardinals for left-hander Austin Gomber, minor league infielders Elehuris Montero and Mateo Gil, and minor league pitchers Tony Locey and Jake Sommers.

Even the Rockies' Twitter account seemed sad about the move:

The deal is done. 😢

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) February 2, 2021

That Story is frustrated is all the more notable because he is scheduled for free agency following the 2021 campaign.

With Arenado gone, the 28-year-old figures to be the next franchise cornerstone, but that will only be the case if the Rockies re-sign him. They certainly acted like sellers by moving one of the best players in the entire league in Arenado, so it is fair to at least wonder if they will do so.

Story slashed .289/.355/.519 with 11 home runs and 28 RBI during the shortened 2020 campaign and hit 35 long balls in 2019 after posting 37 home runs and 108 RBI in 2018. He is a two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger and will now be the most important player in Colorado's lineup.

Arenado can say the same about his role in the Cardinals' lineup.

The 29-year-old is a five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger and eight-time Gold Glover who led the league in home runs in 2015, 2016 and 2018 while leading the league in RBI in 2015 and 2016.

He gives the Cardinals a dynamic power bat and steady glove at the hot corner and should make them the favorite in a National League Central that hasn't exactly added many other notable pieces elsewhere.

Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers fans likely share Story's frustration with this trade.

Fernando Tatis Jr. is already one of the most exciting players in the majors, and now he is on the cover of MLB The Show 21.

Own The Show.
Per-order MLB The Show 21 now: https://t.co/Z3yPsTabus #MLBTheShow #OwnTheShow pic.twitter.com/iSGhngzCCX

— MLB The Show (@MLBTheShow) February 1, 2021

Tatis also made the announcement in a trailer Monday, which called him "The New Face of Baseball."

The game will be released April 20 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X, a change after exclusively being available on PlayStation consoles in past years.

The San Diego Padres shortstop finished fourth in NL MVP voting in 2020 after hitting 17 home runs with 11 stolen bases in 59 games during the shortened season, adding a .937 OPS.

The 22-year-old has also made headlines for excessive celebrations and hitting a grand slam on a 3-0 count when up by seven in the eighth inning of a game against the Texas Rangers.

"I've been asked to apologize for changing the game," Tatis said in the video. "Apparently, I've been breaking the unwritten rules of baseball. I'm sorry if things got too exciting and this isn't the game that you remember. But here's the thing: we're never going back."

Putting Tatis on the cover may appeal to the new generation of baseball fans.

Dozens of protestors from anti-vaccine and far-right groups forced the temporary shutdown of Dodger Stadium's COVID-19 vaccination site Saturday, per Carlos Lozano and Irfan Khan of the Los Angeles Times.

The protestors stalled "hundreds of motorists" who had been waiting hours for the vaccine, per Lozano and Khan.

The Los Angeles Fire Department's shutdown began at 2 p.m. PT. The site is typically open 12 hours per day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Protestors shouted at people not to get the shots, but there were no incidents of violence, per Lozano and Khan.

Dodger Stadium opened Jan. 15 as a mass vaccination site. Per Marc Cota-Robles and Rob Hayes of Los Angeles' ABC affiliate, plans called for the site to be open six days a week for 12,000 people to be inoculated per day.

Dodger Stadium was previously home to a mass testing site before being converted into a vaccination site.