Trevor Bauer is unlikely to play baseball again in 2021, and could possibly face a suspension of at least one year. On top of that, his time in Major League Baseball could be over, a number of league sources interviewed by ESPN’s Jeff Passan said.
In an article, Passan spoke to more than two dozen “executives, owners, lawyers, players and others familiar with how the league’s domestic violence policy operates” to see how the league may respond to Bauer once the pitcher’s legal situation is resolved.
“Regardless of whether Bauer is charged with a crime, sources around the sport told ESPN they expect the league to levy a significant suspension against the 30-year-old,” Passan wrote. “Further, front-office officials question not just whether the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner will return to the field with the Dodgers but if any team in MLB will be willing to roster him after multiple women have accused him of abuse.”
“Almost everyone asked that question said some derivation of the same answer: Never again in MLB….the details of the allegations, Bauer’s reputation as a difficult personality, teams’ fear of public backlash and a climate in which allegations of sexual assault have far deeper repercussions than at any time before are like four walls converging on Bauer.”
Bauer signed a three-year deal worth $102 million with the Dodgers at the start of 2021, and now he may never be able to finish out that contract.
The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner is under investigation by MLB and California authorities for alleged sexual assault of a woman who stated Bauer choked her until she was unconscious with her own hair and penetrated her anally while unconscious, all without her consent. Multiple punches from Bauer resulted in two black eyes, a swollen lip and facial bruising, she said.
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MLB placed Bauer on administrative leave on July 2nd and he has not played since.
Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reported in late July that “a majority of players do not want Bauer back under any circumstances.” Passan expanded on that reporting Tuesday, noting there was “a distinct pocket of veterans on the team who didn’t want Bauer anywhere near them again.”
