After spending the offseason addressing their bullpen, the Los Angeles Dodgers made a splash with signing Trevor Bauer to a record-setting contract. He further bolstered a starting rotation that featured fellow Cy Young Award winners Clayton Kershaw and David Price.
Although Bauer’s arrival added to an embarrassment of riches the Dodgers have assembled, the signing additionally earned the franchise some criticism. Bauer’s missteps on social media have been well-chronicled, and they were the basis of several questions during his introductory press conference at Dodger Stadium.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman explained he and team president Stan Kasten had addressed the subject with Bauer, who vowed to learn from his mistakes. There additionally were concerns raised over how Bauer may fit in the Dodgers clubhouse, but every indication is that has been a non-issue.
“First and foremost, the Dodgers do a really good job, our clubhouse does a really good job of taking in all types of different personalities, different people and getting the best out of them,” Kershaw said.
“We expect that with Trevor. We’re going to let Trevor be himself and do what he’s continued to do over the course of his career.”
As for Bauer’s scientific-based approach to pitching and training, it’s something Kershaw is looking forward to gaining more insight on. “For me personally, I’m just excited to talk to him about pitching. Kind of the same with Walker a little bit,” he said.
“I learned a lot from Walker as far as more of the science and analytical side of pitching that I hadn’t really dove too far into. Trevor is the same way, probably times 10, as far as what he knows and his knowledge of that stuff.
“I’m excited to talk to him about different grips, different ways to get the most out of what you’re doing, and I think he’s going to make us all better. I think he’s going to make us think about different things. I think that’s great.
“I think you have to continue to adapt and innovate to get better. Hopefully he enjoys it and gets comfortable here. At the end of the day we just want him to pitch well. If he pitches well, we’re going to be in a good spot.”
Kershaw, Bauer pitching back-to-back
While Bauer has already made his unofficial Dodgers debut this spring, Kershaw’s first start comes Friday against the Kansas City Royals. Bauer is scheduled for a second start, facing the San Diego Padres on Saturday.
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