LOS ANGELES._ Former Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer is finalizing a one-year contract with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball, where he will rejoin professional baseball for the first time in nearly two years after a long suspension and release from the Los Angeles Dodgers, ESPN reported.
Bauer, 32, last pitched in June 2021, when a San Diego-area woman accused him of sexually assaulting her. He was placed on administrative leave for the remainder of the season and eventually suspended for 324 games by Major League Baseball. In December 2022, an arbitrator reduced the suspension to 194 games and reinstated Bauer, and the Dodgers released Bauer in January, eating up the last $22.5 million of his three-year contract and $102 million total.
Trevor Bauer would still receive his full salary from the Dodgers in addition to his salary from the BayStars.
Every MLB team could have signed Bauer for the major league minimum, but chose not to. He will join the BayStars, typically an intermediate team that last won a championship in the 12-team league in 1998.
Bauer denied allegations of sexual assault by the woman, who claimed he strangled and beat her during rough sex. A California judge denied the woman’s attempt to obtain a permanent restraining order against Bauer, saying she “set limits without fully considering all the consequences.” At least two other women accused Bauer of sexual assault, and all three spoke to MLB about her investigation, leading to an unprecedented suspension.
In the past, Bauer has expressed interest in potentially playing in Japan. His Twitter bio includes his name written in Japanese kanji, and in 2020, when he officially hit free agency, he tweeted: “I will consider offers from any MLB or NPB team.”
Several other Japanese teams considered signing Bauer for the upcoming season, according to sources. Former All-Star closer Roberto Osuna, who received a 75-game suspension under the league’s domestic violence policy and was eventually released by the Houston Astros, played for the Chiba Lotte Marines last season and re-signed with them during winter.
Bauer, the third overall pick in the 2011 draft, was considered one of the best pitchers in baseball before the allegations affected his major league career. In his first and final season with the Dodgers, he posted a 2.59 ERA with 137 strikeouts and 37 walks in 107.2 innings, and hitters hit .182/.258/.374 against him. During his 10-year major league career, Bauer is 83-69 with a 3.79 ERA, 1,416 strikeouts and 491 walks in 1,297.2 innings.
