Trevor Bauer indicators 1-year deal to play in Japan

Former Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer has signed a one-year contract with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, the place he’ll rejoin skilled baseball for the primary time in almost two years following an extended suspension and launch from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 32-year-old Bauer final pitched in June 2021, when a San Diego-area girl accused him of sexually assaulting her. He was positioned on administrative depart for the rest of the season and ultimately suspended for 324 video games by Major League Baseball. An arbitrator in December 2022 lowered the suspension to 194 video games and reinstated Bauer, and the Dodgers launched the pitcher in January, consuming the ultimate $22.5 million of his three-year, $102 million contract.

Bauer will nonetheless get his full wage from the Dodgers along with his BayStars wage.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am to be playing for the BayStars this year,” Bauer stated in a video posted by the crew asserting the deal. “Playing in the NPB has always been a dream of mine, and I can’t think of a better organization to do it with.”

Every crew in MLB may have signed Bauer for the key league minimal however opted towards it. He will be a part of the BayStars, usually a middle-of-the-road crew that final received a championship within the 12-team league in 1998.

Bauer denied the allegations of sexual assault by the lady, who stated he choked her and hit her throughout tough intercourse. A California decide denied the lady’s try and get a everlasting restraining order towards Bauer, saying she “set limits without fully considering all the consequences.” At least two different ladies accused Bauer of sexual abuse, and the three spoke with MLB for its investigation, which led to the record-long suspension.

In the previous, Bauer has expressed curiosity in probably enjoying in Japan. His Twitter bio contains his title spelled out in Japanese characters, and in 2020, when he formally reached free company, he tweeted: “I’ll consider offers from any MLB or NPB team.”

Multiple different Japanese groups thought-about signing Bauer for the upcoming season, in accordance with sources. Former MLB All-Star nearer Roberto Osuna, who acquired a 75-game suspension below the league’s home violence coverage and was ultimately launched by the Houston Astros, performed for the Chiba Lotte Marines final season and re-signed with them over the winter.

Bauer, the third general choose within the 2011 draft, was thought to be among the best pitchers in baseball earlier than the accusations sideswiped his main league profession. In his first and closing season with the Dodgers, he posted a 2.59 ERA with 137 strikeouts and 37 walks in 107⅔ innings, and batters hit .182/.258/.374 towards him. Over his 10-year main league profession, Bauer is 83-69 with a 3.79 ERA, 1,416 strikeouts and 491 walks over 1,297⅔ innings.