Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer has been out of Major League Baseball for three years.
In 2021, sexual assault allegations were leveled against the 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner. MLB initially placed Bauer on administrative leave, before eventually suspending him for 324 games. The suspension was later reduced to 194 games upon appeal.
MLB determined that Bauer violated the league's Joint Policy on Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse. The league argued that an independent arbitrator found Bauer violated the domestic violence policy.
“While we believe a longer suspension was warranted, MLB will abide by the neutral arbitrator's decision, which upholds the longest suspension in baseball history of an active player for sexual assault or domestic violence,” MLB said in a statement in 2022. “We understand this process was difficult for the witnesses involved and we thank them for their participation.”
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Trevor Bauer #96 of Diablos Rojos is seen during game 1 of the Mexican Baseball League (LMB) between Dorados de Chihuahua and Diablos Rojos del Mexico at Alfredo Harp Helu Stadium. Diablos Rojos defeats Dorados de Chihuahua 3-1. (Carlos Santiago/Eyepix Group/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Despite his reinstatement, the former All-Star pitcher recently suggested that MLB will ultimately decide whether he signs with another team.
TREVOR BAUER, OUT OF MLB SINCE 2021, SAYS HE 'MIGHT HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE' BUT TO SUE THE LEAGUE
“Well, one team told us it's not their decision, it's an MLB decision,” Bauer wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, during an exchange with Cincinnati Reds fans.
Bauer also claimed that one club had expressed concerns about the price tag associated with potentially signing him to a contract.
“One team told me I was 'too expensive' even though I offered to play for the minimum, another team told us they had covered up some things in the past that they don't want the media to investigate to uncover…” he wrote.
Trevor Bauer attends his presentation ceremony as the new starting pitcher for the Diablos de Mexico at Alfredo Harp Helú stadium in Mexico City, Friday, March 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
In a statement obtained by Mail Sport, an MLB spokesperson said Bauer is eligible to sign with any of its 30 clubs. “Trevor Bauer has served the full amount of his sentence and is an unrestricted free agent available to sign a contract with any team,” the statement read.
Bauer initially expressed enthusiasm for the prospect of returning to the big leagues after learning that an independent arbitrator had reinstated him.
“I can't wait to see you in a stadium soon!” Bauer wrote on X in December 2022. At the time, the ruling allowed Bauer to resume his career at the start of the 2023 season.
Trevor Bauer #27 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Dodger Stadium on April 24, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Harry Howe/Getty Images)
“While we are pleased that Mr. Bauer has been immediately reinstated, we do not agree that any discipline should have been imposed,” Bauer's representatives, Jon Fetterolf, Shawn Holley and Rachel Luba, said in a statement in December 2022. “That said, Mr. Bauer looks forward to his return to the field, where his goal remains to help his team win a World Series.”
Bauer was never charged with any crime. His accuser sought a restraining order against him but was denied, and Los Angeles prosecutors said in February 2022 that there was insufficient evidence to prove the woman's allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.
Bauer sued his accuser in federal court in April 2022, a move that came less than three months after prosecutors decided not to pursue criminal charges against the pitcher.
Another woman, from Columbus, Ohio, told the Washington Post that Bauer repeatedly choked her without her consent and sexually assaulted her during a relationship that spanned years. Bauer, in a statement through his representatives, said their relationship was “casual and entirely consensual.”
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Bauer ultimately spent the 2023 season in the Nippon Baseball League in Japan. In March, he joined the Diablos Rojos baseball team in Mexico.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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