Trevor Bauer spoke highly of the New York Mets as he reached free agency during the 2020-2021 MLB offseason.

At one point, it even seemed like he’d accidentally leaked that he was signing with the Mets. “Trevor Bauer” signed Mets hats appeared on his website, leading fans to believe he was heading to Queens.

Instead, he ultimately agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a three-year deal. After an MLB-imposed suspension kept him from pitching for over a year, the Dodgers decided not to bring him back after his reinstatement in late 2022. That led to Bauer pitching in Japan for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in 2023, though he still has interest in returning to the domestic league.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Bauer said that the Mets would be high up on his list this offseason, especially given his interest a few years ago.

“I was happy to come play for the Mets last time I was a free agent. Obviously, I was very close to having made that decision,” Bauer said in the interview.

“I won’t go more into depth on that one,” he continued. Seemingly in reference to the hat incident.

“I do think I’m one of the best pitchers in the world,” Bauer said. “I have a lot to bring a team on and off the field. I’m very passionate about helping other players around me. But I think it’s more of, I want to be a positive influence on the community, on the team, on the organization, on the players.”

Would Mets Be Interested In Bauer?

Bauer highlighted that the Mets already have one of his former teammates in Cleveland, Francisco Lindor.

“The Mets have a great thing going on,” Bauer said. “Obviously, those players I’ve played with – I really respect [former Cleveland teammate] Francisco Lindor as a leader, as a player, he’s one of the best out there.

“Playing in New York would be awesome. The fan bases here are crazy. I’d be more than open to it.”

But would the Mets be open to adding him?

So far, outside of a few rumblings, there’s been no clear sign that MLB teams are willing to sign Bauer, regardless of new developments that have created more context around the allegations against him.

There’s nothing stopping a team from bringing him in, and at 32-years-old, there’s plenty more left in the tank. He’d be an upgrade in the rotation for essentially every team, especially on a likely one-year, “prove it” type contract. But teams are likely frightened off by the inevitable PR backlash, especially from far left sports media outlets.

If the Mets are brave enough to show interest however, Bauer’s comments show they’d be readily able to add one of the best pitchers in the sport.