The Los Angeles Dodgers made their decision and officially severed ties with starting pitcher Trevor Bauer on Friday.
Back in December, Bauer was reinstated and eligible to make his return after Major League Baseball reduced his suspension. That brought the game total of his suspension down from 324 games to 194 after a ruling from an independent arbiter. And while the Dodgers could re-add Bauer to their 40-man roster, the organization has zero intention of doing so.
Instead, Bauer, 31, was designated for assignment by the Dodgers, per the New York Post's Jon Heyman. This means that Los Angeles has until next Thursday to find a trade partner. Considering the nature of Bauer's circumstances, this won't likely come easily. And in the event that the Dodgers fail to trade Bauer, he will be placed on unconditional released waivers which will place him in free agency the following day.
Following the decision, the Dodgers released a statement:
The Dodgers organization believes that allegations of sexual assault or domestic violence should be thoroughly investigated, with due process given to the accused. From the beginning, we have fully cooperated with Major League Baseball's investigation and strictly followed the process stipulated under MLB's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. Two extensive reviews of all the available evidence in this case -- one by Commissioner (Rob) Manfred and another by a neutral arbitrator -- concluded that Mr. Bauer's actions warranted the longest ever active player suspension in our sport for violations of this policy. Now that this process has been completed, and after careful consideration, we have decided that he will no longer be part of our organization.
In 2021, following Bauer's Cy Young Award-winning campaign with the Cincinnati Reds, the Dodgers signed Bauer to a three-year, $102 million contract with an opt-out in the first two seasons. Yet, the Dodgers didn't even receive half of what they initially paid for. Bauer made 17 starts and pitched to an 8-5 record with a 2.59 ERA, racking up 137 strikeouts through 107.2 innings on the mound.
As a result of the contract, the Dodgers owe Bauer $22.5 million for the 2023 season. In the best-case scenario for the Dodgers, if unable to deal Bauer and he signs elsewhere, Los Angeles could save $720,000 -- the major league minimum that a potential free agency suitor would owe him. Of course, that price comes with the inherited baggage attached to Bauer as well.
Bauer, who last pitched for the Dodgers in June of 2021, released a statement of his own following the news. The veteran also implied that players within the Dodgers had expressed their support during the nearly two-year-long process.
"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's statement read, per The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya. "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."
