Trevor Bauer has an incredibly unique throwing routine (see a video of it here) that worked out well for him during his days at UCLA and later in the minor leagues. Last season, Bauer made his MLB debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He did not pitch well in four starts, compiling a 2-1 record to go along with a 6.06 ERA. He struck out 17 batters in 16 1/3 innings, but struggled with control as he also walked 13.
Over the offseason, Arizona traded Bauer to the Cleveland Indians. On the surface, it appeared that the Diamondbacks could be a bit premature in giving up on the 22-year-old. However, rumors swirled that Bauer was traded because his personality made him difficult to work with. D-Backs catcher Miguel Montero confirmed that speculation during an interview with Arizona Sports 620 on Saturday.
“It was tough,” Montero told Burns and Gambo. “When you get a guy like that and he thinks he’s got everything figured out, it’s just tough to commence and try to get on the same page with you.”
Montero said he tried to simplify things for the rookie, but that he would turn around and make them “even harder.” The veteran catcher said the issues started in spring training, when Bauer seemed to ignore all the advice he was given.
“Since day one in Spring Training I caught him and he killed me because he threw about 100 pitches the first day,” Montero said, adding that he urged Bauer to slow down and work more on locating his fastball. “And he said ‘yes’, and the next time he threw I saw him doing the same thing. He never wanted to listen.”
Bauer’s story is a common one among younger players. When you do things a certain way and that approach is effective in college and the lower levels, your ego tends to become inflated. If the first pitch he ever threw in the majors was any indication, Bauer obviously had some nerves going. Had he taken the advice of his manager and teammates, he may have found more success. As Montero put it: “Good luck to (Indians catcher) Carlos Santana.”
