More info on the Yankees’ interest in Trevor Bauer

Earlier today, reports surfaced indicating that the Yankees scouted Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer over the weekend. That news sent Yankees fans into a discussion of the merits of a Bauer trade, whether on the basis of his pitching performance or off-the-field actions. Now, however, more information has come to light on the matter.

When it comes to Bauer’s history with the media and Twitter usage, the Yankees don’t seem overly concerned. According to Andy Martino of SNY, “...they [the front office] don’t see his behavior as a major concern.” Martino, for his part, has been well plugged into the Yankees’ thinking of late. It’s possible the team will only look at Bauer’s on-field performance, or maybe they just have that much faith in Jason Zillo and their media relations department.

Dan Federico also reports that the Yankees may have pivoted to Bauer because the front office can’t agree on Madison Bumgarner and Marcus Stroman. Jon Heyman first broached the idea that Yankees were split on Bumgarner, with Jon Morosi suggesting that talks between the Bombers and Giants aren’t gaining traction. Now the same is being said of Stroman. Expect Brian Cashman to cast a wide net and not rule anyone out just yet.

Finally, James O’Connell reminds readers that the Yankees recently hired Sam Briend to serve as Director of Pitching within the organization. He previously worked with Driveline Baseball, a group with close ties to Bauer. While Briend will focus on developing minor league pitchers, it stands to reason that the club would pick his brain before engaging in a pursuit of the right-hander. This hiring probably has nothing to do with Bauer, but at the very least it raises some eyebrows and deserves mentioning.

We’ll have more on Bauer and the Yankees as news comes to light. For now, this seems like the most serious connection to a starter on the trade market.