Wow. I thought Trevor Bauer might receive a significant punishment from Major League Baseball given the seriousness of the allegations against him and the amount of time MLB has spent investigating, but I definitely did not see this coming.
Today, pursuant to its authority under the joint domestic violence and sexual assault policy with the players, MLB suspended pitcher Trevor Bauer for TWO YEARS. That’s an unpaid 324-game suspension, and it reportedly does not include any of the time Bauer has already been out.
It is – by nearly a 10x magnitude – the most significant penalty MLB has ever handed down under the policy. The implication is that, in its own investigation separate from any legal proceedings, MLB found reason to believe Bauer had violated the policy in a troublingly significant way.
Bauer was initially placed on administrative leave by the league last summer after allegations surfaced about serious sexual abuse with a woman who was seeking a restraining order. That order was denied, and the prosecutor’s office subsequently decided not to pursue charges. Bauer has denied that there was any assault, and has maintained that the encounter was consensual.
He continues the denials today, saying he will appeal the decision:
In the strongest possible terms, I deny committing any violation of the league's domestic violence & sexual assault policy. I am appealing this action and expect to prevail. As we have throughout this process, my representatives & I respect the confidentiality of the proceedings.
— Trevor Bauer (トレãƒãƒ¼ãƒ»ãƒã‚¦ã‚¢ãƒ¼) (@BauerOutage) April 29, 2022
Bauer, 31, was signed with the Dodgers through this and next season, so that contract – if the appeal is unsuccessful – is now essentially over. More coming soon, I expect.