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The Houston Astros recently watched Trevor Bauer throw a bullpen. A report surfaced later that, despite what many fans might have believed, there was no intention of signing him. The former Cy Young winner has not pitched in the MLB since 2021 despite being reinstated from suspension.
The team seems poised to move on from Trevor Bauer, ignoring the work he's done to try and convince MLB teams that he is good enough to be a part of their league. The Astros were the first team to reportedly even consider signing him. Though they haven't yet, here are a few reasons it might not be the worst idea.
Why the Astros should consider Trevor Bauer
3) Pitching injuries
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If nothing else, Trevor Bauer can provide a healthy arm. That's something the Houston Astros don't have a lot of following the injuries to Framber Valdez and Cristian Javier. Justin Verlander is over 40 and was already hurt once.
Just to get through the season successfully, the Astros might want to look at Bauer purely as an innings-eater. If he does well, that's just an added bonus for a team not currently winning many games.
2) Low risk, high reward
Signing Trevor Bauer would be a very low-risk signing. He's expressed a willingness to play for the league minimum, so there's no risk with the money or the length of the contract.
While the LMB doesn't boast hitters of most MLB teams' caliber, he has pitched well. He might have some talent left and could make an impact for a very low price. It's a potentially high-reward signing that doesn't carry any financial risk for the club.
1) Their reputation isn't on the line
Most MLB fans do not like the Houston Astros for the cheating scandal that followed their 2017 World Series win. Even several years after the revelation, that reputation follows them.
A lot of MLB teams wouldn't want the reputation of signing someone as controversial as Bauer, but the Astros don't have much to lose in that area. They're already criticized, so bringing Bauer on possibly couldn't do much damage.
