Dodgers designate Trevor Bauer for assignment

LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers announced Friday that they have designated for assignment right-hander Trevor Bauer, who just served a 194-game suspension for violating the MLB-MLB Players Association Joint Policy on Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Violence against Children. .

“The Dodgers organization believes that allegations of sexual assault or domestic violence should be thoroughly investigated, with due rights for those accused. From the beginning, we have fully cooperated with Major League Baseball’s investigation and have strictly followed the process set forth under MLB’s Policy on Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse. Two extensive investigations of all available evidence in this case—one by Commissioner Manfred and one by a neutral mediator—concluded that Mr. Bauer’s actions warranted the longest suspension in our sport’s history for violations of this politics. Now that the process has been completed and after careful consideration, we have decided that he will no longer be a part of our organization.”

An independent mediator, Martin F. Scheinman, asserted on December 22 that Bauer violated the domestic violence policy, while reducing the suspension from 324 games to 194. The reduction made Bauer eligible to return to the Dodgers, since he had missed 243 games between his time on administrative leave and the 144 games he served out of his suspension in 2022.

The Dodgers had until Friday to decide whether to return Bauer to the 40-man roster or release him. They held meetings within the organization, including some with team clubhouse leaders, in the last 14 days before making their final decision.

Now, the Dodgers have seven days to trade Bauer. If the right is not traded, he will be placed on waivers, in order to release him. If neither team claims him, he will become a free agent.

If a trade doesn’t go through, the Dodgers will owe him $22.5 million in salary for 2023, which is the final year of his three-year, $102 million deal.

Bauer, who turns 32 on Jan. 17, was the first player to appeal a domestic violence suspension. Although the suspension was shortened, it remains the longest imposed under the MLB-MLBPA Domestic Violence Policy, which was implemented in 2015.

Bauer was initially placed on administrative leave after a woman in San Diego accused him of sexual assault, which occurred between two sexual encounters in 2021. The woman also filed for a temporary protective order against Bauer. The pitcher claimed he did nothing wrong, saying the encounters were consensual.

A Los Angeles court judge denied him the protection order. In February 2022, the Los Angeles district attorney’s office announced that it would not file formal charges against Bauer.

MLB conducted its own investigation to determine whether or not Bauer violated the league’s policy on domestic violence. Under the joint domestic violence policy between MLB and the MLBPA, the Commissioner’s Office can suspend a player, even if the player has not been formally charged or convicted in court.