Bauer gives away signs to Dodgers batter

Trevor Bauer thinks his decision to tip pitches for a Dodgers batter during a spring training game and the resulting attention are good for baseball.

The Cincinnati Reds’ outspoken starter signaled pitches to the Dodgers’ Matt Beaty during a game on Monday. Bauer flicked his glove toward the catcher before each pitch — a sign a fastball was coming — and Beaty eventually lined out.

Bauer has criticized the Houston Astros over their sign-stealing. Major League Baseball’s investigation found Houston broke rules by using electronics to steal catchers’ signs en route to their 2017 World Series title and again in 2018.

Bauer said Wednesday he was just having fun, and the pitch tipping wasn’t intended to help the team that lost to the Astros in the World Series.

“It wasn’t team-specific,” Bauer said. “I did it a couple times last season in games. There are a lot of interesting outcomes from it, psychologically and competitively.”

Elsewhere

Major League Baseball has proposed banning player access to video during games, according to Yankees pitcher Zack Britton, but the union wants to allow it with protections that would prevent catchers’ signs from being visible. Players association head Tony Clark met with the Yankees and discussed negotiations for new video rules in the wake of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. “Right now, MLB’s proposal would be like a blackout. There would be no access,” Britton said. “That’s a pretty extreme stance because of one team, that everyone else is punished.”