The last time Trevor Bauer pitched in a big league game was June 28, 2021. He was then suspended 324 games due to allegations regarding sexual assault. Recently, an independent arbitrator trimmed his suspension to 194 games and reinstated him immediately. In correspondence, the Dodgers have made him available by designating him for assignment. Even though Bauer is a former Cy Young Award winner, it may be better if the Brewers stay away from him.
With being DFA’d, the Dodgers will be on the hook for paying Bauer’s remaining $22.5MM assuming he clears waivers. After that could be signed for the league minimum salary.
Trevor Bauer has been reinstated, but the Brewers should stay away.
The Brewers currently have a plethora of starting pitchers and are deep at the position. Wade Miley was the teams most recent addition along with Bryce Wilson. Adding Bauer would contribute to a log jam of pitchers.
From a baseball perspective, signing Bauer may be a bit of a gamble. There is no guarantee that on the mound he will return to form. It has been over 20 months since he last threw a pitch in a major league game.
The former Cy Young winner had a 2.59 ERA in 2021 before being suspended and had a 1.73 ERA during the shortened 2020 season. Returning to that level of play will not be easy.
From a clubhouse and fan base perspective, there is a lot of hesitancy to sign Bauer. Any team that signs him is going to take a lot of criticism and there is no way to predict how that teams players will respond.
Between the off the field drama and uncertainty of returning to his previous level of play, it may be in the Brewers best interest to stay away from Trevor Bauer.
Follow me on Twitter @tylerkoerth. Follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!
