Bauer wrote in his statement<\/a>. “Following two weeks of conversations around my return to the organization, I sat down with Dodgers leadership in Arizona yesterday who told me that they wanted me to return and pitch for the team this year.<\/p>\n“While I am disappointed by the organization’s decision today, I appreciate the wealth of support I’ve received from the Dodgers clubhouse. I wish the players all the best and look forward to competing elsewhere.”<\/p>\n
Bauer joined the Dodgers in February 2021 on a three-year, $102 million contract that included two opt-outs — but he hasn’t pitched since June 28, 2021.<\/p>\n
The following day, a then-27-year-old San Diego woman filed a request for a domestic violence restraining order (DVRO) in which she alleged that Bauer assaulted her over the course of two sexual encounters at his home in Pasadena, California, in April and May, prompting a prolonged MLB investigation that left Bauer on administrative leave for the remainder of that season.<\/p>\n
Bauer, who has denied wrongdoing at every turn, claimed two legal victories in the aftermath, first when an LA judge dismissed the woman’s request for a permanent restraining order in August 2021 and then when the LA District Attorney’s Office declined to file criminal charges in February 2022. But two other women made similar to The Washington Post. And Manfred, who has the autonomy to suspend players even if they are not charged with a crime, announced a 324-game suspension for Bauer near the end of April, twice longer than the previous longest penalty under the domestic violence policy.<\/p>\n
Martin Scheinman, an independent arbitrator retained by both MLB and the MLB Players’ Association, spent parts of the next eight months presiding over Bauer’s case, reviewing findings and listening to testimony before determining that Bauer’s suspension would be reduced to 194 games, 144 of which were served during the grievance process. Scheinman essentially gave Bauer credit for time served while on paid administrative leave throughout the second half of the 2021 season and reinstated him immediately, leaving the rest in the Dodgers’ hands.<\/p>\n
The Dodgers’ initial statement — “We have just been informed of the arbitrator’s ruling and will comment as soon as practical” — was strikingly noncommittal, consistent with their approach over the previous year and a half.<\/p>\n
The Dodgers canceled Bauer’s scheduled bobblehead night and removed his merchandise from their stores shortly after MLB first placed him on administrative leave. Team president Stan Kasten later sent an email to employees in August 2021, while the San Diego woman’s DVRO hearing out, saying he was “deeply troubled by the talk” against Bauer. Outside of that, though, the team has hardly commented publicly. And it currently does not plan to in the near future, sources said.<\/p>\n
Per the terms of the domestic violence policy, the Dodgers aren’t allowed access to the details of MLB’s investigation or the reasons behind the arbiter’s ruling.<\/p>\n
Bauer won the Golden Spikes Award at UCLA in 2011 and was the No. 3 pick in the MLB draft later that summer. He clashed with his Arizona Diamondbacks teammates, prompting a trade after his first full season, and was at the center of two infamous incidents in Cleveland, allegedly cutting his finger with a drone before a 2016 playoff start and hurling a baseball over the center field fence after being removed from an outing July 28, 2019, three days before being traded again.<\/p>\n
Bauer made a case for the Cy Young Award in 2018, then won it while with the Cincinnati Reds during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season. The Dodgers, fresh off claiming an elusive championship, signed him later that offseason, outbidding the New York Mets despite rampant criticism surrounding Bauer’s history of bullying others on social media. During Bauer’s introductory news conference, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman touted the organization’s culture and vetting process, adding that he believed Bauer had learned from prior transgressions.<\/p>\n
“And you know what, we’re all gonna make mistakes,” Friedman said then. “What’s important for me … is how we internalize it, and what our thoughts are about it going forward. From our standpoint, it was important to have that conversation. And we came away from it feeling good about it. Now, obviously , time will tell. But I feel like he is going to be a tremendous add, not just on the field but in the clubhouse, in the community, and that’s obviously why we’re sitting here.”<\/p>\n
Bauer posted a 2.59 ERA in his first 17 starts, pitching mostly like an ace, before the assault prompted his removal from the roster. The team essentially replaced him with Max Scherzer for the rest of the 2021 season, riding another star-laden roster to a 106-win regular season.<\/p>\n
The following year, the Dodgers shattered their franchise record by winning 111 games before being eliminated by the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series. But Bauer’s presence loomed in the ensuing offseason, evident in the Dodgers ‘notable inactivity.<\/p>\n
Top-tier free agents continued to come off the board, attaining record contracts in the process, and the Dodgers — mindful of getting back under the luxury-tax threshold and uncertain about their payroll while Bauer’s grievance process played out — mostly watched them go by.<\/p>\n
Now, at least, the team can move forward.<\/p>\n
ESPN’s Jeff Passan contributed to this story.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n