At Trevor Bauer’s introductory press conference on Feb. 11, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said he gathered input from active players before making Bauer the game’s highest-paid player this season.
One of those active players was Walker Buehler.
On a Zoom call with reporters Saturday, Buehler said he knew from previous conversations that Bauer was interested in playing in Los Angeles. He didn’t have to sell Bauer on the idea of becoming a Dodger.
“Obviously I didn’t want to dissuade him in any way,” Buehler said. “I texted him a little bit throughout his free agency, like ‘Hey, what’s the deal, what’s going on, are you coming here,’ whatever. I had conversations here and there with some front-office guys, just what I knew about him. This stuff’s kind of above my pay grade.
“We’re glad it worked out, glad he’s here. Now it’s about coming together as a unit and figuring out the best way to win a bunch of games.”
Bauer won the National League Cy Young Award after going 5-4 with a 1.73 earned-run average for the Cincinnati Reds in 2020. His three-year contract pays $38 million this year alone in base salary and signing bonuses.
Bauer joins a starting rotation already loaded with talent. Clayton Kershaw has three Cy Youngs and a Most Valuable Player award on his résumé. David Price won the Cy Young Award in 2012 with the Tampa Bay Rays. Buehler started Game 1 in four of the Dodgers’ last five postseason series.
For his part, Buehler welcomes the infusion of talent.
“It’s never a bad thing to have a guy that’s had the success he’s had in his career, especially last year, in our clubhouse and in our staff, to talk and pick each other’s brains,” Buehler said. “That’ll be nice. The biggest thing is just having another guy that’s been around for a while and knows what he does in a little bit different way than all of us do. Just another piece of the collaborative effort.”
FULL STEAM AHEAD
Because the 2020 season was truncated to 60 regular-season games, Buehler said he was able to “condense” the break he would normally take before a new season.
“He will be more ready than in springs in the past because he kept throwing throughout the offseason,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Walker just felt there were a lot of bullets left out there, left on the table. For him to continue to throw in the winter to keep his arm moving will prepare best for ’21, so he’s done that. Threw a bullpen (Friday) and looked very sharp – considerably more crisp than he has in years past.”
The COVID-19 pandemic and a finger blister limited Buehler to 36 2/3 innings during the 2020 regular season. It was the first time a blister bothered him in his career, Buehler said, and it hasn’t been an issue since.
“I think it’s always going to be a wait-and-see kind of thing,” he said.
SQUEEZE PLAY
All Cactus League games through March 13 are scheduled as seven-inning games. They can be shortened to five innings or lengthened to nine innings upon mutual agreement of both managers, as long as they notify Major League Baseball by 5 p.m. Eastern Time the day before.
Under the unique circumstances created by playing amid a pandemic, Roberts said he appreciates that degree of flexibility.
“I think it’s great, not just because of the injuries on the field but the potential for getting COVID, getting the virus – we just don’t know,” he said. “We’ll find out each day what we have. To not put pitchers in harm’s way is great for all of us.”
ALSO
Roberts said catcher Keibert Ruiz, a Venezuela native, is still trying to work through a visa situation that has prevented him from reporting to camp. …
Pitchers Joe Kelly and Mitchell White are not throwing due to arm soreness. Roberts said there is no timeline for either to resume. …
Clayton Kershaw threw a 34-pitch bullpen session Saturday, Roberts said, his first of spring training. Kershaw threw all his pitches, including some changeups.
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Walker Buehler endorsed Trevor Bauer to Dodgers’ front office - LA Daily News
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