Trevor Bauer, disgraced former Cy Young winner, indicators in Japan

The final time Bauer signed a contract, it was for $102 million over three seasons with the Dodgers, a deal introduced with a information convention on the sector at Dodger Stadium. This time, Sankei Sports, a newspaper in Japan, broke the information of Bauer’s signing. According to that article, Bauer’s single-season contract is for 400 million yen, or roughly $3 million.

The group confirmed Bauer’s signing Monday night, posting a video by which Bauer mentioned that taking part in in Nippon Professional Baseball — his new league — “has always been a dream of mine and I can’t think of a better organization to do it with.”

Bauer’s representatives didn’t reply to messages searching for remark.

The Dodgers will nonetheless be on the hook for $22.5 million owed to Bauer in 2023. If he had signed with an MLB group, that group — which most likely would have acquired him for the league minimal — would have solely offset his Dodgers wage. But as a result of Bauer signed with a international membership, the Japanese wage will probably be along with the Dodgers’ pay.

In January, a consultant for Bauer instructed The Washington Post that he was “negotiating with multiple MLB teams for a new contract.” But the abroad deal suggests MLB groups handed on a former ace dogged by a string of comparable allegations made by girls since an preliminary accuser emerged in June 2021.

After that lady sought a restraining order in opposition to Bauer, alleging he had strangled her unconscious and repeatedly punched her throughout a sexual encounter that resulted in her hospitalization, extra girls got here ahead with comparable allegations of nonconsensual violence throughout intercourse.

Following a prolonged investigation in April, MLB suspended Bauer for 324 video games, or two full seasons, the longest suspension within the historical past of its home violence coverage. Bauer appealed, resulting in a months-long confidential listening to throughout which no less than two of his accusers testified in opposition to him. An arbitrator lowered the suspension to 194 video games.

Prosecutors in Los Angeles declined to cost Bauer for the alleged sexual assault, and a choose there denied his preliminary accuser’s request for a restraining order. Bauer has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has by no means publicly expressed contrition in regards to the allegations in opposition to him. Instead, he has gone on the offensive, together with by submitting an ongoing defamation lawsuit in opposition to considered one of his accusers.

After the Dodgers introduced they have been reducing ties with him in January, Bauer claimed that group officers had instructed him they “wanted me to return and pitch for the team this year.” He mentioned he was “disappointed” by the group’s determination however “look[ed] forward to competing elsewhere.”

The Japanese outlet that reported Bauer’s signing wrote that Yokohama “investigated the acquisition carefully” and that the group discovered “the assault allegations against Bauer [were] dismissed due to a lack of evidence; with no ongoing criminal prosecution against him; and after close discussions with Bauer himself, decided to give Bauer the offer.”

Jintak Han contributed to this report.