[Déjà Bru]

I will give him credit for this:

The Dodgers’ new star pitcher, whom the Mets wanted to sign before he decided to go home to Los Angeles on Friday, wrote in a 10-tweet essay that he was sorry for the social-media sideshow that preceded the announcement of his new team.

"I take full responsibility for the mistakes," wrote Bauer, who agreed to a three-year, $102 million contract. "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 and Mets fans [are] as passionate and energetic a bunch as any, so I offer my sincerest apologies for how the events Friday played out."

But how stupid has this process become? It used to be the player and his agent. Now there is a "team" whose doings the player has little knowledge and control over?

That afternoon, fans discovered that Bauer’s personal website was advertising Mets-themed Bauer gear, as well as a giveaway of a Mets hat signed by him. Those who signed up received an email with a coupon for 10% off his online store and a note that included the line, "I can’t wait to take the mound in New York!" That giveaway eventually was taken down, and Dodgers and Angels hat giveaways popped up instead.

Bauer’s explanation: It was an accident. Definitely not on purpose. His team drew up in advance such materials for "multiple organizations" that he was potentially going to sign with. Someone published the Mets version too early. In the moment Friday, Bauer said, he was unaware of the social-media chaos. He said he woke up Friday not knowing which team he would join and was conferring with his agents while his "marketing and digital team was managing both" his social media and website.

This summer, I might begin a new program of spending my last years following local baseball: independent (bad enough with this type of stuff), college, even high school. To watch the game itself without the distractions of this goddamned nonsense caused by too much money floating around in too few hands.