White Sox's $12M arm shares true feelings about Trevor Bauer's character

An AL Cy Young award winner and All-Star, Trevor Bauer is undoubtedly quite good at what he does. However, his outspoken attitude and off the field controversies make him a polarizing figure.

Making an appearance on Tuesday's episode of the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast, fellow starting pitcher Anthony Kay, who shared the clubhouse with Trevor Bauer while the pair were on the books of NPB outfit the Yokohama DeNA Baystars, offered his honest opinion on Bauer's character.

"He was a great teammate for everyone," Kay said (Timestamp: 21:10). "Obviously, he didn't have the success that he wanted this year, but he was still an open book for everyone. He's one of the smartest guys out there, as far as baseball goes. "The fact that he was still willing to help out all the teammate and everything with the struggles that he had, kind of showed me how good of a teammate he actually was."

After two impressive seasons in the NPB, Kay and the Baystars parted ways at the end of the 2025 season. Soon after, Kay sealed his return to MLB, signing a two-year, $12 million contract to join the Chicago White Sox on Dec. 9.

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"I don't know who's going to give him that opportunity" - Insider assesses Trevor Bauer's chances of returning to the major leagues

After his first stint in the big leagues came to an end as he was caught up in controversy off the field, Trevor Bauer is now classed as an "unrestricted free agent" by MLB, meaning he is eligible to sign with any of the 30 major league franchises.

However, Rockies analyst Patrick Lyons is of the opinion that chances of such a move are slim, be it specifically from a Colorado Rockies point of view, or MLB any team in general.

"Why aren't any teams interested in Trevor Bauer? Something's going on there, you'd have to think, right? No one is giving him a try," Lyons said during Nov. 26's episode of 'The Rockies Insider' (Timestamp: 20:52). "Personality wise, Trevor Bauer is the exact opposite of the players the Rockies typically try to target. They like good soldiers, they like guys that don't make too many waves. "Could be he's a changed man. I think he probably deserves an opportunity, but I don't know who's going to give him that opportunity." (26:47)

San Francisco Giants v Los Angeles Dodgers - Source: Getty

At the moment, Bauer is a free agent. Just like Anthony Kay, he parted ways with the Baystars after the 2025 NPB season concluded.

Edited by Raghav Mehta