Trevor Bauer Eclipsing Jacob deGrom's 3rd-Year Arbitration Salary is a Disgrace to the MLB

There's no questioning the idea that Trevor Bauer is a talented pitcher. However, does he deserve more money in an arbiration year than the two-time reigning NL Cy Young Award winner?

Well, the Cincinnati Reds certainly think so. The Reds and Bauer avoided an arbitration hearing by agreeing to a $17.5 million deal for 2020. This is the first year Bauer has settled before heading to arbitration, having engaged in a hearing with his former Cleveland Indians the past two offseasons.

Last year, deGrom and the New York Mets agreed to a $17 million figure, which was the second-highest ever for an arbitration-eligible pitcher at that time.

In 2019, Bauer accumulated a 4.48 ERA. His ERA with the Reds, however, skyrocketed to 6.39 after being dealt by the Tribe at the trade deadline. A year ago, deGrom had absolutely earned every dollar of his $17 million, as he was coming off a Cy Young season in which he posted an incredible 1.70 ERA.

It's hard to defend Bauer getting half a million more here.

Are the two even comparable at this point? Bauer has only had an ERA below 3.00 once in his career (2018), while in deGrom's six seasons, he has had an ERA of over 3.00 only twice, including an injury-shortened 2016 campaign in which he put up a 3.04 ERA.

Jacob deGrom is a generational talent that has a chance to earn his own bust in Cooperstown one day. Trevor Bauer, conversely, will likely only be remembered by Indians fans or young pitchers who want to try the Driveline pitching program. The fact that Trevor Bauer made more money in arbitration this year than Jacob deGrom did after his first Cy Young Award campaign is an MLB disgrace, plain and simple.