The Indians got the most out of Jake Bauers after all.
After designating him for assignment, it seemed as if the Indians wouldn’t get anything back for Jake Bauers. That’s no longer the case, as Bauers has been dealt to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for cash or a player to be named later.
Bauers came over in a 2018 trade with the Tampa Bay Rays that saw the Indians send Edwin Encarnacion to the Mariners, Cole Sulser, and Yandy Diaz to the Rays. The Mariners in exchange sent back Carlos Santana.
Ironically, of all five players, only Diaz is still with the team he was traded to. Encarnacion is a free agent, Sulser is with Baltimore, Santa is in Kansas City and Bauers is now in Seattle.
All things considered, this is the best the Indians could get for Jake Bauers.
There was quite a bit of hype around jake Bauers when he was dealt. The Indians looked like geniuses who got young power-hitting first basemen, as well as a great hitter in Carlos Santana, all for an aging bat in Edwin Encarnacion and two (at the time) near-30 somethings. It looked like a steal.
Now, two seasons later, the Indians are without both men. Santana due to his age and contract, Bauers due to his inefficient play. He struggled in 2019 and was largely out of mind in 2020. 2021 seemed like the make-it-or-break-it year for Bauers, as he was out of minor league options. If he wasn’t going to do it now, he’d never do it in Cleveland.
He didn’t do it.
It wasn’t like he didn’t show glimpses. Starting May, Bauers looked like he was starting to turn a corner but he eventually showed that it wasn’t to be. So now the Indians are hoping that the money or player they get from Seattle will help make a difference for this team that Bauers never could.
The Tribe literally got all they could for him.