With a week left until the start of the 2023 Major League Baseball season, pitcher Trevor Bauer has signed a new contract.
Just not with an MLB team.
Nearly two years removed from his last start in an MLB game, Bauer has agreed to a one-year deal with the Yokohama BayStars of the Japanese Central League, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The agreement, which is expected to be worth $4 million, will become official on Monday night, Passan noted.
Bauer, 32, missed the entirety of last season after his domestic violence case, which earned him a hefty suspension. Initially set at 324 games, Bauer was reinstated to return to an MLB mound after serving 194 games. But even after the Los Angeles Dodgers, who signed Bauer to a $102 million contract in 2021, released the former Cy Young Award winner, his interest hit a dry spell in the open market.
The 2018 All-Star last made 17 starts in his debut campaign with the Dodgers, going 8-5 with a 2.59 ERA, striking out 137 hitters through 107 2/3 innings pitched.
But after breaking out with Cleveland midway through his career, Bauer encountered a downward spiral of controversy, ultimately guiding him out of the league. In 2019, Bauer had his viral run-in with former manager Terry Francona, after Bauer hurled a ball over the centerfield wall and into the stands as a reaction to being pulled from an outing. This, to no surprise, led to a furious Francona shouting at Bauer and directing him to the dugout.
Meanwhile, since the Dodgers were unable to find someone to take Bauer and his controversial baggage, Los Angeles remains on the hook. They’ll still have to pay Bauer $22.5 million due to his lack of interest across the league.
