Trevor Bauer Takes Not-So-Subtle Jab At Chris Sale’s Second-Half Performances

Trevor Bauer has opinions, and he’s not afraid to share them — even if it means getting under the skin of his big league brethren.

The Cleveland Indians pitcher, who isn’t afraid to be critical of his own teammates, was the subject of a lengthy Sports Illustrated profile this week in which he took a jab at Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale.

Bauer believes that if it weren’t for a late-season injury, he would have won the American League Cy Young Award last season. His main competition for the award for most of the season was Sale, but second-half shoulder issues cost Sale a chance at taking home the honor, which Tampa Bay Rays hurler ultimately won.

Bauer, according to the SI profile, wasn’t surprised to see Sale drop off the pace.

“Sale was going to fade like he always does, and I would have run away with it,” Bauer told SI’s Ben Reiter.

Yikes.

Bauer’s assessment isn’t entirely wrong. Sale’s production has dropped off in the second half for much of his career, and even without injuries, he also was less effective after the All-Star break and into the playoffs in 2017, his first season in Boston.

But it certainly feels like crossing some sort of line or breaking some code of etiquette by publicly pointing out as much. Maybe it’s nothing, but it probably won’t sit well in the Red Sox clubhouse regardless.