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Bradford Doolittle
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ESPN Staff Writer
- Sports reporter, Kansas City Star, 2002-09
- Writer, Baseball, Baseball Prospectus
- Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus
- Member, Baseball Writers Association of America
- Member, Professional Basketball Writers Association
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David Schoenfield
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ESPN Senior Writer
- Covers MLB for ESPN.com
- Former deputy editor of Page 2
- Been with ESPN.com since 1995
After days of speculation that his free-agent decision would come down to the Los Angeles Dodgers or New York Mets, Trevor Bauer chose to join the reigning world champions on Friday afternoon. Bauer and the Dodgers agreed on a three-year, $102 million deal that has opt-outs after Years 1 and 2, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan, and will pay the 2020 NL Cy Young winner an MLB-record $40 million in 2021.
What would Bauer have to accomplish on the mound in 2021 to be worth that kind of money? What should the Mets do next after missing out on the winter’s top free-agent pitcher? Is Bauer even the most likely member of the Dodgers’ staff to win a Cy Young next season? We asked ESPN MLB experts Bradford Doolittle and David Schoenfield to weigh in on those questions and much more in the aftermath of Bauer’s record-setting contract.