The Dodgers were worried about this happening this offseason.
After a long seven months of a grievance process, the verdict is officially in. Dodgers RHP Trevor Bauer, who was initially suspended for 324 games, is now suspended for just 194. That means, he’s reinstated, effective immediately, and the Dodgers have to pay him $32 million next season.
There’s definitely a lot to take in here, but the biggest thing for the Dodgers is they now have an extra $32 million on their payroll. This is what they were worried about, which is why Ken Rosenthal reported they weren’t spending big on the top free agents this offseason.
The Dodgers haven’t made a decision whether or not he’ll play for the team next season, but Bob Nightengale reported that the plan is likely to release him. The best thing for them would be finding a trading partner, but that may not be easy considering his past, and that he’s still on the hook for $32 million.
In the MLB’s official statement, they said:
“While we believe a longer suspension was warranted, MLB will abide by the neutral arbitrator’s decision, which upholds baseball’s longest-ever active player suspension for sexual assault or domestic violence.”
Bauer last pitched in 2021, appearing in 17 games for the Dodgers before getting suspended, and missing the entire 2022 season. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with him moving forward, but the process is now complete and Bauer is eligible to play.
