Bauer: Hearing turned into ‘character assassination’
All-star pitcher Trevor Bauer thought the Cleveland Indians had presented a better overall case against him in their latest salary arbitration hearing, until the last 10 minutes in a rebuttal by the Major League Baseball labor relations staff he viewed as “character assassination” against him.
“That kind of put a black mark on what I thought was a really well-argued case on both sides,” Bauer said Thursday, a day after beating the Indians in arbitration for the second year in a row. “There’s no room for that . ... Let’s just stick to the numbers. Let the numbers decide.”
Bauer was awarded $13 million by the three-person panel over the Indians’ $11 million offer. Bauer who won’t be eligible until free agency until after the 2020 season, said he never plans to sign more than a one-year contract. The pitcher said the process hasn’t soured his feelings about the team.
“No, I understand it,” Bauer said. “I look at it as a very intellectual pursuit. It’s very intellectual and not very emotional. They actually apologized to me immediately afterward, the other side in front of the arbitrator.”
Bauer pointed out that “the higher-ups on the team don’t go. They have lawyers argue the case for them.”
With the process settled for this season, Bauer and the Indians move forward together.
“After talking to Trevor, it’s no different than it is last year,” team president Chris Antonetti said. “He has this unique ability to be very clinical about things, and look at things very rationally.”
Bauer, a first-time All-star last year, finished sixth in AL Cy Young Award voting after going 12-6 with a 2.21 ERA. He missed six weeks late in the season after getting hit on the right leg by a line drive.
Angels’ Harvey out with glute strain
Los Angeles Angels righthander Matt Harvey will be out for at least a week as a precaution because of a glute strain he felt during agility drills. He said he expects to be ready by opening day.
Harvey signed a one-year, $11 million deal with the Angels in December and is looking to bounce back after last season. He went 7-9 with a 4.94 ERA in 32 games (28 starts) with the Mets and Reds last year.
Angels manager Brad Ausmus said he expected Harvey to miss a minimum of a week and a half.
Twins reach deals with Kepler, Polanco
Two people with direct knowledge of the deals told the Associated Press that the Minnesota Twins agreed to five-year contracts with right fielder Max Kepler and shortstop Jorge Polanco.
The sources said the deals were reached on Thursday. The Twins scheduled a news conference for Friday.
Kepler’s contract is worth $35 million and includes a $10 million club option for 2024 with a $1 million buyout. Polanco’s deal is valued at $25.75 million and has a 2024 option that could become guaranteed as well as a 2025 club option.
Royals, Diekman agree on 1-year deal
The Kansas City Royals and reliever Jake Diekman agreed Wednesday to a one-year contract that guarantees $2.75 million and includes a mutual option for 2020 plus bonuses that could make it worth $10 million over two seasons.