Gregorius-Bauer Trade: Comments and Reaction

I said the only way I would talk about Trevor Bauer is if I could get Gregorius... He's certainly going to come into camp and compete with Willie Bloomquist, as well as Cliff Pennington, at shortstop. If he had to go back to Triple-A, I don't think it's such a bad thing. I think Triple-A at-bats would be good for him.
-- Kevin Towers

[Gregorius] who signed with Cincinnati back in 2007, has always impressed with his athleticism and upside, and it was all on display as he played at three levels, including the big leagues during a September callup. There's no question he can stay at shortstop with a cannon for an arm and good range. He has above-average speed, which should help him on both sides of the ball in the future. He handles the bat well from the left side of the plate and understands the strike zone, though he can get overly aggressive at times.
-- Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com

While it appears to be a meteoric fall from grace for Bauer, the third overall pick in the 2011 draft and the D-backs’ minor league pitcher of the year last season, Towers insisted the D-backs were not anxious to part with a pitcher who was virtually untouchable a year ago. He was included in the package, Towers said, because it was the only way the D-backs could get a shortstop they valued as highly as Gregorius. There have been numerous published reports of friction between Bauer and both the front office and teammates.
-- Jack Magruder, FSAZ

It’s safe to say that Gregorius wouldn’t have been of much interest if they had taken Francisco Lindor, now one of the game’s best shortstop prospects. That the Diamondbacks’ relationship with Bauer had soured was obvious. The two parties disagreed about his throwing program. Whispers about attitude problems had become pervasive. Some of Bauer’s tweets also rubbed people the wrong way. It’s all stuff that likely would have been overlooked had Bauer seemed well on his way to becoming an ace. However, fluctuating velocity and spotty fastball command had damaged his stock to some disagree.
-- Matthew Pouliot, CBS Sports

Everybody got what they needed in this deal. Which isn't to say it will look perfectly balanced in a year or two or six. But I'll bet all three GM's woke up really happy Wednesday morning... Trevor Bauer has posted tremendous numbers in the minors and has brilliant tools, but he struggled with the Diamondbacks last season in his brief major-league trial, and he's got the sort of outgoing personality and independent streak that leaves some of his veteran teammates planning a blanket party. Maybe Kirk Gibson felt that way, too.
-- Rob Neyer, SB Nation

The Reds came out winners here, as they filled a gigantic hole in their lineup without taking much away from their major-league roster. The Indians came out winners [too]. The Diamondbacks? I still don't understand (a) why Gregorius was the guy Towers wanted and (b) why he was willing to deal Bauer to get him
-- Ryan, Let's Go Tribe

The Diamondbacks reportedly soured on Bauer and felt that with the younger, left-handed and comparably talented Tyler Skaggs ready... they could afford to part with Bauer, but the fact remains that Bauer could still emerge as the best of that bunch within the time that he’s under the Indians’ control, and the key player the Diamondbacks got in return for him, former Red Gregorius, is not guaranteed to fix their shortstop problems. The other big loser here could be the Texas Rangers, who, if the Diamondbacks really feel as though they’ve solved their shortstop problem, no longer are a match for a potential trade for Arizona right-fielder Justin Upton.
-- Jay Jaffe, SI

While scouts still consider Bauer a future ace, the Diamondbacks obviously had devalued him because of what they perceived as an inability to make adjustments as instructed. Most importantly for Arizona, this trade netted a shortstop, and the addition of Gregorius could cement right fielder Justin Upton’s future with the organization... Still, this is somewhat of a head-scratcher for Arizona. It lost its top pitching prospect and received Sipp (no longer a prospect at 29), Anderson (blocked at first base by Paul Goldschmidt) and Gregorius.
-- Anthony Witrado, Sporting News