"I cannot afford to walk the leadoff hitter" - Trevor Bauer highlights epic showdown against former Rangers slugger Nomar Mazara
Trevor Bauer has not pitched in the MLB since 2021, yet thanks to the power of social media, he has been able to remain in the minds of baseball fans across the globe. While he may still be one of the most polarizing players in the game, he has seen his following online continue to grow thanks to his consistent posting.
Not only has Trevor Bauer been able to have fun on social media and show off his personality on and off the mound, but he has also used his platform to highlight his actions during games. Following his release from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bauer took his talent across the globe playing in both Japan and most recently in Mexico with the Diablos Rojos de Mexico.
There have been questions regarding the quality of his opponents in the Mexican League. That being said, the former Cy Young Award winner either played with or against ex-MLB stars such as New York Yankees slugger Robinson Cano or former Texas Rangers outfielder Nomar Mazara.
The latter is one that he highlighted in his latest social media, showing off an epic showdown with the slugger.
"So he got to 92 MPH up and in decently well there so next at-bat we'll remember that. Got to cut him next at-bat," Bauer said of the first-at bat against Nomar Mazara.
Even though Mazara has not played in the MLB since 2022, the outfielder is not someone to mess around with at the plate. During his first three seasons with the Texas Rangers, Mazara hit 20 home runs in each of them, so Trevor Bauer was aware of his prowess at the plate.
"Now he's going to chase the deadzone cutter or slider," Bauer said after going up 0-2 during the at-bat.
After taking a firm lead during the at-bat, Bauer turned to his dominant curveball in an attempt to record the strikeout. However, after missing the zone twice, the former Cincinnati Reds ace shifted his focus from recording a strikeout to simply getting an out.
"Now we're 2-2, time to stop chasing the K, time to get an out," Bauer said before throwing another ball to force a full-count. "I cannot afford to walk the leadoff batter and give them momentum and get a big inning going," Bauer continued.
Unfortunately for Trevor Bauer, Mazara would get the better of him. On a 3-2 count, Mazara would connect solidly on a fastball and drive a looping single into right field. While Bauer recorded an out in their first at-bat, Mazara was sure to tag him back the second time around.
Trevor Bauer joins a loaded starting pitcher free-agent pool
After a successful season in the Mexican League which saw him earn an All-Star selection, as well as a championship, Bauer is now a free agent. It remains to be seen if he will be presented with another opportunity to pitch in the MLB. Even though he has been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing tied to the sexual assault allegations made against him, the controversy still lingers.
Even if Trevor Bauer does draw interest from MLB teams, there are a number of high-profile free-agent pitchers that he will need to compete against for a contract. Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, Max Fried, and Roki Sasaki are some of the names that are highly coveted on the open market, which could make Bauer less desirable for some teams.