Bauer will pitch for the Asian Breeze against the Dodgers on Sunday, Jack Harris and Bill Shakin of the Los Angeles Times report.
The Breeze is an independent team that has the purpose of getting lesser-known players in front of MLB scouts. Bauer has made his desire to return to the majors well known, but he has yet to gain much traction in finding a new opportunity. He's currently unsigned for the 2024 season after pitching with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball in 2023.
Bauer agreed Monday with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball on a one-year, $4 million contract, Yuki Yamada Sankei Sports reports.
Bauer was released by the Dodgers in early January after he was made eligible for reinstatement following a reduction of his domestic violence suspension. He's now headed overseas to continue his baseball career after presumably not receiving any interest from major-league clubs. The 32-year-old may explore his options stateside following the 2023 season, but it's possible his MLB playing days are over.
The Dodgers designated Bauer for assignment Friday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. They will pay the remaining $22.5 million on his contract and he will become a free agent.
The team could not find a trade partner leading up to this transaction, so the seven-day period to find a trade partner will just be a formality before he becomes a free agent and can sign with any other team for $720,000. Bauer last pitched June 28, 2021.
Major League Baseball announced Thursday that Bauer's 324-game suspension was reduced to 194 games by an arbitrator, making him eligible for immediate reinstatement, Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports.
Bauer was handed the suspension on April 29, and though he proceeded to sit out the entire 2022 season, he opened a grievance against MLB in an effort to have the ban reduced. After a seven-month grievance process, a neutral arbitrator ruled in favor of Bauer, who will be given credit for the time he had already spent on the Dodgers' restricted list dating back to the 2021 season. Bauer will still have his salary docked through the Dodgers' first 50 games of the upcoming season, but with his suspension determined to have been completed, he's now eligible to pitch effective immediately. The Dodgers will have until Jan. 6 to decide if they will reinstate Bauer to their 40-man roster, but it's currently unclear if the organization intends to keep him in its plans.
Dodgers' Trevor Bauer: Opens grievance hearing against MLB
Rotowire
Bauer will begin his grievance hearing Monday against MLB as he seeks an overturn or reduction of the 324-game suspension he received April 29 for violating the league's domestic violence policy, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
As Gonzalez notes, Bauer is the first among the 16 players who have received suspensions under MLB's current domestic violence policy to challenge his banishment, which is twice as long as any punishment previously levied since the league and the MLB Players' Association launched their joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy in August 2015. Bauer, whose last MLB appearance came June 28, 2021 before the Dodgers placed him on the restricted list, is no longer facing criminal charges in connection with the sexual assault allegations that were first made against him last summer. The grievance hearing could last for several weeks until panel chair Martin Scheinman makes a ruling on the matter, so clarity on the 31-year-old's situation may not come for a while. Even if the ban is completely overturned, the Dodgers may choose not to activate Bauer.
Bauer was handed a two-year suspension Friday for violating the league's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.
Bauer had been on administrative leave since the midpoint of last season while the league investigated sexual assault allegations against him. The suspension was issued effective from Friday and doesn't include his time served while on leave, so he'll be off the field until early in the 2024 season. Bauer will appeal his punishment, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, so the final word on when he'll be eligible to return is still not quite clear.
