He also appealed for the minimum annual salary of '1 billion won.' Bauer is returning to Japan, and it is no longer 'insurance.' "Recruitmen
"The possibility of adding new troops in March is low"
Japan's "Full Count" pointed out the possibility of Bauer's return to the Japanese professional baseball on the 29th (Korea time), saying, "The Major League spring camp is over, and we are waiting for an offer in hopes of returning to the Major League, but there is no news on Trevor Bauer."
Last year, Bauer played for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japanese pro baseball. One of the most talented players in the Major League, including winning the National League Cy Young Award when he was with the Cincinnati Reds in 2020, Bauer played in Japan because of allegations of sexual misconduct. Making his debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2012, Bauer went 1-2 with a 6.06 ERA in four games before moving to the Cleveland Indians (now the Guardians) through a trade.
Bauer did not bloom immediately after the transfer, but he began to stand out with 5-8 losses and 4.18 ERA in 26 games in 2014, and continued his winning streak with 11 wins (12) and 4.55 ERA in 2015. In particular, he achieved 17 wins in the 2017 season and became one of the top pitchers in the Major League by achieving double-digit wins for the sixth consecutive year until 2019. In particular, in the 2020 season, he recorded 5 wins and 4 losses (two shutouts) in 10 games and rose to the "peak" as he topped the National League with a 1.73 ERA.
Bauer, who won the Cy Young Award by ranking No. 1 in ERA, successfully signed an ultra-large contract worth 102 million U.S. dollars for three years with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the winter that year, and had eight wins and five losses in 17 games during his first season. He continued to display good performance with an ERA of 2.59. But something unexpected happened. Bauer was suspected of being sexually assaulted. The Major League Baseball suspended Bauer for 324 games. Considering that a Major League season has 162 games, the period is equivalent to two years.
Bauer was not prosecuted for lack of evidence, but the Secretariat's disciplinary action has not changed. In response, Bauer fought back against the Secretariat's decision, reducing his suspension to 194 games in the winter of 2022. Bauer's dream of returning to the big league mound has been shattered. The Dodgers decided to release Bauer. And 29 other teams besides the Dodgers have not reached out to Bauer either. This forced Bauer to turn to the Asian stage and, coincidentally, made contact with Yokohama DeNA, which was looking for a foreign ace.
Bauer was not listed in the opening lineup due to a sudden injury, and was rested at the end of the season due to an injury, but he pitched 130 ⅔ innings to lead Yokohama DeNA to the championship with a 10-4 record and a 2.76 ERA. He contributed greatly to bringing the season forward. After the season ended, Yokohama DeNA naturally conveyed Bauer's intention to renew his contract, and it was pictured that several other Japanese clubs were also entering the race to recruit Bauer. However, Bauer's eyes were on his return to the big leagues, not Japan.
Coming back to the U.S. in the offseason, Bauer has appeared on several television shows and expressed his strong desire to return to the majors. Bauer also said on his social media, "Teams that don't want to invest hundreds of millions of dollars over the years for Cy Young Award winner (Black Snell) can sign him with the minimum salary in the majors. Teams that want to win but don't want to spend a lot of money can do that." "It's another option for teams," he said, expressing his commitment to a minimum salary contract.