Trevor Bauer has been reinstated after a referee reduced his 324-game suspension to 194 games, MLB announced Thursday.
It has been over a year since Bauer last appeared on an MLB mound, having been placed on paid administrative leave on July 2, 2021, after a woman accusing him of choking her unconscious and assaulting her during sex earlier that year. Two other accusers have appeared since.
Bauer has denied the allegations, calling all encounters with the women consensual and aggressively pursuing legal action against them and the media he has been accused of defaming. No criminal charges have been filed against him.
This administrative leave eventually led to the unprecedented suspension of two full years of matches in April this year, without counting paid vacation time. It appears the ref chose to count that time off as part of Bauer’s suspension while paying him 50 games in salary in 2023 to cover the amount he was paid during his sideline.
Even with the reduction, the sentence remains the longest suspension ever received by an active MLB player for sexual assault or domestic violence. The total cost of his suspension will be $37.5 million on the $102.5 million contract he signed after the 2020 season.
Where does Trevor Bauer go from here?
Under the original terms of his suspension, Bauer would not have been eligible to play in an MLB game until approximately one month into the 2024 season. The shortening of the suspension and conversion of his paid time off means that he is immediately allowed to play without restriction.
The big question, at least as far as MLB is concerned, is whether the Dodgers or any other team has any interest in putting Bauer on the mound.
According to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, the Dodgers have until Jan. 1. 6 to decide whether to add Bauer to their active roster or release him. Either way, they’re responsible for his $32 million salary minus 50 games, which is about $22 million.
The Dodgers acknowledged the decision shortly after it was released, but declined to provide information on their plans for the future.
There have been past reports the Dodgers are unlikely to bring Bauer back no matter what they pay him, with rumors of little support for him inside the clubhouse. Still, the arbitration decision has been hanging over them for months, with the potential to free up tens of millions of dollars. That obviously didn’t happen, complicating an already messy offseason.
If the Dodgers choose to release Bauer, it’s unclear if any team will be interested in adding him given his personal background.
MLB’s full statement on Trevor Bauer’s decision
Today, the neutral umpire selected by MLB and MLBPA claimed that Trevor Bauer violated Major League Baseball’s joint policy on domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.
After an exhaustive review of the available evidence, the neutral referee upheld a 194-game suspension without pay. As part of the decision, the referee reinstated Mr. Bauer was effective immediately, with lost wages covering the 144 games he was suspended during the 2022 season. In addition, the referee suspended Bauer’s salary for the first 50 games of the 2023 season (i.e. the period covering March 30, 2023 to May 23, 2023). While we believe a longer suspension was warranted, MLB will abide by the neutral umpire’s decision, which upholds baseball’s longest active suspension for sexual assault or domestic violence.
“We understand that this process has been difficult for the witnesses involved and we thank them for their participation. Due to the joint program’s collectively negotiated confidentiality provisions, we are unable to provide further details at this time.
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