Trevor Bauer isn't your usual free agent. From being the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner to the way he uses social media, for better or worse, nothing is the norm when it comes to the 29-year-old.
Whether it's directly to him or to his agent, Rachel Luba, fan bases all around baseball are trying to sway Bauer to sign with their favorite team this offseason. Giants fans, apparently, have made a strong impression on the Southern California native.
Bauer listed the Giants on his YouTube page as one of the five best fan bases who have pitched him this offseason. He broke down the criteria into three categories: Consistency, creativity and overall volume. He also noted the Cincinnati Reds, who he played for last season, didn't make the lists because they easily would have been No. 1 and that wouldn't have made for a fun video.
Overall, Giants fans came in as the fourth-best fan base for their offseason pitches to Bauer. The ace called the Giants a "sleeper" and has been blown away by their fans' creativity.
"One thing I have to say about the Giants is I personally haven't seen a lot from the Giants' fan base," Bauer said. "However, they've been super creative. And for this reason, I gave them a nine on creativity, because they've started going after agent Rachel Luba and giving their pitch to her."
Luba grew up as a Giants fan in the Bay Area, and Bauer seems to like the "unique" approach of pitching his agent.
"It's different," Bauer said of Giants fans' strategy. "We'll see how effective it is. I think it's really seen. Could be highly effective ... could not be. It remains to be seen for sure. Definitely props on that."
Bauer has been disappointed by the consistency of fans in San Francisco, though. He gave the Giants a five for consistency and a four for overall volume. Overall, Giants fans received 18 points out of a possible 30.
The Giants were listed ahead of the New York Yankees and below the San Diego Padres, New York Mets and Los Angeles Angels.
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Bauer had by far the best season of his career this year. The former No. 3 overall draft pick led the NL with a 1.73 ERA, 276 ERA+ and 0.795 WHIP. He also struck out 100 batters in 73 innings. This also isn't the first time Bauer has been connected to the Giants.
MLB Network's Jon Heyman predicted last month that Bauer would sign a five-year, $150 million contract with the Giants this offseason. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com also told NBC Sports Bay Area's Jessica Kleinschmidt he believes Bauer would be a good fit in the Bay. Kevin Gausman is back after signing the qualifying offer, and Johnny Cueto is looking to prove he still has plenty left in the tank next season. But Bauer instantly would become this staff's ace.
The Giants were a surprise team in 2020's shortened season, just missing the playoffs. Is Bauer the missing piece? He clearly is taking a different approach to free agency, and there's no reason to count Bauer to the Bay out just yet.
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December 10, 2020 at 03:00PM
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Bauer calls Giants top five free-agent fan base pitching him - NBC Sports Bay Area
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