After choosing the Los Angeles Dodgers over the New York Mets, pitcher Trevor Bauer offered an apology to the fans of the Amazins in hopes of stemming some of the boos he's sure to hear at Citi Field in the future.
The 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner says he went into the final day of negotiations not sure where he was going to go. He says he spent hours staying off the internet while he spoke to his team about what he should do.
In the tweet thread, Bauer apologized to Mets fans for a link that went out in the hours before he finalized his decision that seemed to indicate he was going to the Mets. That link was swiftly taken down but still made the rounds in the final stretch before Bauer's announcement.
He says the link went up as his team prepared for both possibilities before he made the final decision, but the link should not have gone up.
"The resulting confusion is understandable and regrettable. My intention was never to mislead your fan base, nor was it to troll you in any way. I had a fantastic time engaging with fans from many teams over the last few months," says Bauer.
Bauer, though pushed back against rumors that he had a contract in place with the Mets, saying that is false.
The pitcher says to make up for the confusion, he says he will donate $10,000 each to some New York City charities, including Big Brothers, Big Sisters NYC and Stem Kids NYC.
After a sizable backlash from Mets fans in the wake of his massive contract signing, the reaction this time around was largely positive. "I appreciate this apology. Still wish you were a Met!" said one Twitter user, while some still shared some jabs at the pitcher's expense.
Though fans may not be in the stands, the Dodgers' first visit to Queens comes on Aug. 13.