Trevor Bauer, a star pitcher who was recently reinstated to Major League Baseball after a long suspension for violations of the league’s domestic violence policy, is expected to be released by the Los Angeles Dodgers After the team released a statement Friday stating that he would no longer be part of the team,
BauerA 31-year old man had his 324-game suspension shortened to 194 games on Dec. 22 by an independent arbitrator. This resulted in a 14-day window of opportunity for him to be reinstated. Dodgers to either activate him to the team’s 40-man roster or designate him for assignment (a form of baseball limbo in which a player can be released, sent to the minors, claimed by another team off waivers or traded). The outcome will not affect the player’s rights. Dodgers Are responsible Bauer’s salary in 2023, which was reduced to $22.5 million by the arbitrator who docked his pay for the first 50 games of the year as part of the reworked penalty.
This decision came after much debate over how to deal with a situation that had been brewing for months. BauerAs M.L.B., he was removed from the team after he joined as a free agent on February 20, 2021. Multiple women have made sexual assault claims against him. BauerAlthough he was charged with punching and biting women during what he claimed was consensual, rough sex, a conviction was not made against him by the M.L.B. to have violated the league’s domestic violence policy. The details of the league’s investigations are not shared.
a statement released by the Dodgers On Friday, they stated that the team believes domestic violence and sexual assault accusations need to be fully investigated. Due process should also be given to those involved. They emphasized that the team had participated in M.L.B.’s investigation at every step of the process.
“Now that this process has been completed, and after careful consideration, we have decided that he will no longer be part of our organization,” According to the statement.
Bauer He countered, stating that he had thought about returning for the 2023 seasons.
“Following two weeks of conversations around my return to the organization, I sat down with Dodgers leadership in Arizona yesterday who told me that they wanted me to return and pitch for the team this year,” Bauer said. “While I am disappointed by the organization’s decision today, I appreciate the wealth of support I’ve received from the Dodgers clubhouse. I wish the players all the best and look forward to competing elsewhere.”
The initial suspension, handed down by Commissioner Rob Manfred in April, was for 324 games — the equivalent of two full seasons — and did not include any backdating for the time Bauer Already missed during paid administrative leave. The league and its players’ union agreed to have an independent arbitrator handle Bauer’s appeal of the suspension.
Martin F. Scheinman, the arbitrator decided Bauer was in violation of the league’s policy and that the violations warranted a long suspension, but he chose to reduce the penalty to 194 games and allowed for Bauer to activate immediately and give him credit for his time.
Even after the reduction Bauer’s suspension is the longest of its kind in M.L.B. History, but in the end it will cost. Bauer This is the highest sanction the league has ever imposed on a salary of $37.5 million.
Through the entire process Bauer He has actively used social media to deny the accusations and share tips on how to pitch. Last month his lawyer issued a statement stating that the suspension had been reduced. “disagree that any discipline should have been imposed,” And he tweeted about doing a video log the coming season and stated, “Can’t wait to see y’all out at a stadium soon!”
To the DodgersBring it! Bauer The negative publicity that the move might have received, despite the fact that the team still has to pay him a lot of money, was probably not worth it. Los Angeles won an M.L.B.-best 111 games in 2022, and while the team lost the starters Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney to free agency, they added the right-hander Noah Syndergaard as a free agent to a talented rotation that also includes Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urías (who served his own 20-game suspension for a domestic violence incident in 2019) and Tony Gonsolin.
Bauer, who won the National League’s Cy Young Award as a member of the Cincinnati Reds in the season before the sexual assault allegations were reported, will most likely end up free to sign with another team for the major league minimum salary of $720,000. If this were to occur, Dodgers They would be allowed to subtract that amount from $22.5 million they owe the pitcher.
