Dodgers: Jeff Passan drops bombshell assessment of Trevor Bauer’s situation

When Major League Baseball extended Trevor Bauer’s stay on administrative leave through Sept. 3, it was assumed the pitcher would be done for the remainder of the 2021 season. And many have previously alluded to the fact he’ll never throw a pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers again.

Even though it all seems obvious, it’s still considered conjecture because we have no concrete statements or evidence to definitely suggest anything. Additionally, many reporters haven’t delved too deep into the subject. We’ve just been handed updates in regard to the Pasadena Police Department’s investigation as well as Bauer’s appearance in court.

But now we have much, much more. It’s still not by definition “factual” but MLB insider Jeff Passan went ahead and did the digging to give us an idea what’s in store for Bauer once the LA County District Attorney’s Office makes its next move.

Nonetheless, Passan’s findings suggest Bauer could be suspended for at least a year. Out of the many interviews with “two dozen sources — executives, owners, lawyers, players and others familiar with how the league’s domestic violence policy operates,” it’s widely believed Bauer will never pitch in MLB ever again.

Here’s what he said in his Tuesday story:

"“When is Bauer going to play?“Almost everyone asked that question said some derivation of the same answer: Never again in MLB.“Now, that could be prisoner-of-the-moment talk. Plenty of things can change. All it takes is one team to convince itself Bauer is worth the repercussions. Five players on major league rosters today were once suspended under the policy. Never is a long time.“But 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. As great of a pitcher as he may be, sources said they had a difficult time envisioning a path back into the good graces of the league and the team.”"

Wow. OK … but what about his contract situation?!

https://twitter.com/juliefalbo/status/1432321817331572744?s=20

It’s tough. The Dodgers technically cannot terminate his contract. If he’s suspended for one year, however, that would save them a ton of money. If he’s suspended for two years, they likely luck out and save everything, unless it’s retroactive since he hasn’t pitched since June 28.

The problem then arises in 2023 (if we’re talking about a one-year suspension), which is when Bauer has a player option he can exercise for $32 million (that clause also has a $15 million buyout). Passan said it might be a “fait accompli” Bauer opts into that, especially if he loses money for a full-season suspension. Then we’re talking about a legal fight between Bauer and the Dodgers.

The troubling aspect of all this is that since MLB has a crummy history of dealing with off-the-field behavior, there aren’t many comparable benchmarks to work with given the severity of Bauer’s alleged transgressions, which were echoed by a second woman who is working with MLB on their investigation into the matter. Passan cites the last successful contract termination coming in 2008 when pitcher Shawn Chacon threw Astros general manager Ed Wade to the ground by his throat. The two largest suspensions in MLB history have been served by Alex Rodriguez (211 games for repeat PED offenses) and Sam Dyson (162 games for violating the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy).

It’s fair to say Bauer’s case is among the most disturbing we’ve ever encountered in the sports world and it might be the first of its kind. Perhaps it’s a chance for MLB to set the record straight and make an example out of Bauer if the evidence suggests he’s guilty? One can only hope the right decision is made based on the multiple investigations. That’s all.

Trevor Bauer’s fate with Dodgers could be decided very soon

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer had his leave extended again on Friday and the Pasadena Police Department submitted their case to the DA office.