Sports
Trevor Bauer 'more than open' to signing with Mets after 2021 offseason fiasco
Trevor Bauer was very close to joining the New York Mets three years ago.
Right before inking a three-year deal worth north of $100 million, the Mets, fresh off Steve Cohen’s acquisition, had long been near the top of the 2020 NL Cy Young Award winner’s list.
Bauer even posted a YouTube video in that offseason, discussing what intrigued him about the Mets.
Trevor Bauer was very close to joining the New York Mets three years ago. (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
“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 told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview this week.
Then something bizarre occurred.
Bauer’s own website accidentally advertised signed Mets hats by Bauer, prompting fans to think he was signing with New York, yet he had already agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The fiasco had him considering dropping out of his Dodgers agreement entirely and playing for the Mets, simply to appease the fan base in blue and orange.
“I won’t go more into depth on that one,” he told Fox News Digital.
But now, after his 324-game suspension for violating MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy for sexual misconduct allegations (which was reduced to 194) and spending one year playing in Japan, Bauer is again a free agent, and it sounds like the Mets could be near the top of his desired destinations again.
If “Uncle Stevie” came calling this time around, Bauer says he’d be “happy” to play in Queens.
Trevor Bauer’s website accidentally advertised signed Mets hats by Bauer, prompting fans to think he was signing with New York, yet he had already agreed to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers. (Harry How/Getty Images)
TREVOR BAUER SAYS HE’S GROWN FROM ‘MISTAKES’ IN THE PAST, HOPES FOR ‘SECOND OPPORTUNITY’ IN MLB
“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.”
Bauer and his agent, Rachel Luba, are looking for a match, but one hasn’t come yet.
So, while it seems like Bauer has his eyeballs on Queens, he’s looking for any sort of opportunity in the Major Leagues.
And he has a pretty decent sales pitch.
“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.”
Yokohama DeNA BayStars pitcher Trevor Bauer delivers against the Hiroshima Carp during a game in Yokohama, Japan, on May 3, 2023. (Kyodo News via AP)
“I’m going to perform on the field. I’m in great shape, I’m better now than I ever have been in my career. I have no doubt that I’ll perform well on the field. But I want to be a positive impact in the clubhouse. I want to be a positive impact in the community, and I will do those things. I’m committed to playing the second half of my career better than I played in the first; helping grow the game both from a skill perspective, on-the-field technical perspective, and from a fan-engagement perspective. I have a lot to offer. I’m going to do the second half of my career better than I did the first, and I’m just looking for an opportunity to do that.”
The Mets won 101 games in 2022 but just 75 last year. Bauer pitched to a 2.76 ERA in Japan’s professional league while striking out 130 batters in 130.2 innings.
New York recently signed longtime Yankees veteran Luis Severino and acquired Adrian Houser from the Milwaukee Brewers.
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Sports
USA World Cup star Folarin Balogun receives controversial red card during Round of 32 match
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U.S. men’s national team star Folarin Balogun received a red card in the second half of their Round of 32 World Cup matchup against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday night.
Balogun was making a challenge on a ball when he stepped on an opposing player’s leg.
The U.S. men’s national team is down to 10 players for the rest of the match. If the U.S. holds their 1-0 lead, Balogun will have to miss the Round of 16 game.
Balogun scored for the U.S. in the first half.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
Sports
Dodgers’ Will Smith won’t return before the All-Star break
SACRAMENTO — The first half of the season will conclude with Will Smith in the same place he has been for the last month: the injured list.
The Dodgers’ three-time All-Star catcher has been on the IL since June 8 because of what the Dodgers list as neck inflammation. Smith said he had been diagnosed with an inflamed disk.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he “just can’t see any world” in which Smith would return before the All-Star break, which concludes July 16.
“It’s certainly longer, I know, than all of us expected,” Roberts said. “But I don’t think it’s anything real, kind of affecting-the-season type thing.”
Roberts said Smith has not been able to accelerate his rehabilitation to the point of doing baseball activities.
Dalton Rushing, who has taken over as the Dodgers’ primary catcher in Smith’s absence, is batting .213 with one home run and 19 strikeouts in 18 games while Smith has been on the injured list. The Dodgers gave Rushing the day off Wednesday.
The Dodgers were 14-6 with Smith on the IL entering play Wednesday.
Also Wednesday, the team scratched shortstop Mookie Betts from the starting lineup because of a sore right wrist.
Sports
Ex-NFL reporter Dianna Russini interaction with police officer to dodge traffic ticket comes to light
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Police bodycam footage appeared to refute a claim made by former NFL reporter Dianna Russini earlier this year about what she did to get out of a traffic ticket.
Russini, whose relationship with New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel led to her resigning from her role with The Athletic in April, said on the “Stugotz and Company” show back in February that she FaceTimed the NFL coach, though she didn’t drop the name, of the officer’s favorite team after being pulled over for being on her phone.
It was a story that came up again during the New York Times’ deep dive into the Russini-Vrabel controversy, and now police bodycam footage has confirmed that wasn’t the case. However, she did name-drop a coach.
ESPN reporter Dianna Russini looks on during the NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Sept. 16, 2018. (Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire)
The footage went just over seven minutes long, as Russini was stopped in Ridgewood, New Jersey, for using her phone while driving. Not only did a FaceTime never happen, but no call at all occurred during the exchange between Russini and the officer.
What did occur, though, was Russini showing the officer texts she had been having with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, and she showed the officer her phone with the texts on it.
DIANNA RUSSINI PULLED PATHETIC MOVE WITH AN OFFICER TO GET OUT OF A TICKET, AND IT SHOULD HAVE THE NFL NERVOUS
“I’m an NFL reporter, and I just broke that Seam McDermott got fired from the Bills,” Russini told the officer almost immediately, understanding why she was being pulled over. “I was gonna pull over because I have to make calls. I know you don’t care, but I’m just letting you know my reason why. It was a work thing and it was an emergency for what I do.”
McDermott was fired the morning of Jan. 19, which was the date shown on the bodycam footage, after the Bills’ AFC Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos.
The officer replied that Russini had been on her phone “for a while” before pulling her over, though he did acknowledge she had a job to do.
Russini continued, telling the officer that former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll “wants the job” with the Bills. He was connected to the team given his history with Buffalo prior to joining the Giants, but they hired in-house with Joe Brady being promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach. Daboll ended up joining Robert Saleh’s staff as offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans.
Dianna Russini, left, and Mike Vrabel, right, are shown in a split composite image featuring Russini with an ESPN microphone and Vrabel on the Titans sideline wearing a headset. (Imagn Images)
Russini, then, asked if the officer was a Giants or Jets fan given the New Jersey ties. When he responded by saying he was a Vikings fan, it prompted Russini to seemingly show texts with O’Connell. The conversation, which included Russini saying the Vikings’ quarterback “sucks” and “KOC’s awesome” ultimately led to the officer letting her off with a warning.
“I’m gonna cut you a break on the cellphone,” the officer was heard saying. “I understand your job requires you to be on the phone a lot. Just try to wait until you get home, OK?”
PATRIOTS SAY THEY ‘FULLY SUPPORT’ MIKE VRABEL AMID LATEST IN CONTROVERSY INVOLVING DIANNA RUSSINI
The Center Square first reported Russini’s interaction with the officer.
Fox News Digital reached out to Russini and the Vikings for comment.
Ridgewood Police Chief Forest Lyons issued a statement on the matter.
“On January 19, 2026, at 9:40 a.m., a Ridgewood police officer conducted a motor vehicle stop on Godwin Avenue involving Ms. Dianna Russini for the use of a handheld cell phone while driving,” the statement read. “After following department protocol during the stop, and reviewing Ms. Russini’s driving history, the officer exercised his professional discretion and issued a verbal warning to Ms. Russini.
Dianna Russini attends the 2026 Fanatics Super Bowl Party at Pier 48 in San Francisco, California, on Feb. 7, 2026. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
“The use of officer discretion in determining whether to issue a warning or a citation is consistent with Ridgewood Police Department policy and longstanding practice. Police officers are encouraged to use their judgment and, when appropriate, provide motorists with warnings as part of the Department’s commitment to fair, impartial and community-oriented policing.”
Russini resigned from her post at The Athletic amid mounting criticism over her relationship with Vrabel after photographs of them hugging and holding hands at a private resort in Sedona, Arizona, went viral. After initially trying to downplay it, saying “reporters interact with sources away from stadiums and other venues,” Russini ultimately released her resignation.
After the original photos, others dating back to 2020 showed Vrabel and Russini kissing at a bar in New York City. The pictures exclusively obtained by the New York Post were taken in the early hours of March 11, 2020.
“They were kissing, and they were all over each other,” an eyewitness told the outlet. “He had a ring on.”
Dianna Russini appears on the red carpet prior to the NFL Honors awards presentation at YouTube Theater in Los Angeles, Calif., on Feb. 10, 2022. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)
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While Russini resigned, Vrabel was back with the Patriots after a counseling visit, which fell on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Vrabel said he had difficult conversations with his family, while also speaking with his players about the situation. The Patriots said before the draft they “fully support” Vrabel, allowing him to seek the counseling he desired despite four rounds of the draft still remaining.
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