Trevor Bauer of the Los Angeles Dodgers has been suspended by Major League Baseball for 2 seasons, effective immediately, for violating the league’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy.
The suspension — which can cover 324 games without pay — was announced by Commissioner Rob Manfred on Friday. It got here after an investigation by the league into allegations that he had sexually assaulted a girl. Bauer, who joined the Dodgers last season as a free agent, was placed on administrative leave, with pay, on July 2. Other assault allegations have been reported by The Washington Post — one in all which was first reported on Friday following the announcement of Bauer’s suspension.
Bauer, 31, has been vocal in his own defense throughout the method and has filed multiple lawsuits against various people, including media members. He issued a press release on Friday condemning the choice.
“Within the strongest possible terms, I deny committing any violation of the league’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy,” Bauer’s statement said. “I’m appealing this motion and expect to prevail. As we have now throughout this process, my representatives and I respect the confidentiality of the proceedings.”
In court filings and testimony, a girl said that she initiated contact with Bauer and started a consensual relationship in April 2021, with some agreed-upon rough sex, but that it led to sexual acts that weren’t consensual. She has also said she was choked along with her hair until she lost consciousness. She said that she returned to Bauer’s house in Pasadena, Calif., in May and established a secure word that may signal her desire to stop but that she was again choked until she lost consciousness and was punched.
Bauer’s lawyer had said in a previous statement that his client had messages showing that the girl had asked to be choked and slapped throughout the encounters.
Individually, The Washington Post published an investigation in August revealing one other incident of alleged abuse.
The Post’s reporting detailed how an Ohio woman had sought a protective order against Bauer in 2020 after accusing him of punching and choking her without consent during sex. In keeping with that report, which relied on sealed court records and other documents, the girl dropped the request six weeks after filing it and after Bauer’s lawyers threatened legal motion. Bauer called the report “a false narrative” and accused the girl of attempting extortion.
On Friday, The Post reported a 3rd accusation against Bauer.
After a series of extensions of his administrative leave last season, his yr officially ended on Sept. 21, when it was agreed that he wouldn’t return to the team. He was paid for the whole lot of 2021 — his contract called for $28 million, in response to Spotrac — but under the terms of his suspension he won’t be paid in 2022 or 2023, the ultimate two years of his contract with Los Angeles. If an appeal just isn’t granted, Bauer’s suspension will proceed into the start of the 2024 season and he would stand to lose around $60 million in salary.
Bauer’s prospects as a free agent upon his return are unknown. He shall be 33 initially of the 2024 season — still young enough to be an efficient pitcher for several years — but would wish a team to look past the allegations in hopes of strengthening its starting rotation. Within the N.F.L., where Deshaun Watson was accused of sexual assault by quite a few women — he has denied all allegations — the young quarterback was given a contract by the Cleveland Browns that guaranteed him $230 million.
The Dodgers, for whom Bauer appeared in just 17 games, issued a press release after the announcement through which the team said it supports the league’s policy but that it might not comment further due to Bauer’s right to appeal.
“The Dodgers organization takes all allegations of this nature very seriously and doesn’t condone or excuse any acts of domestic violence or sexual assault,” the statement said. “We’ve cooperated fully with MLB’s investigation because it began, and we fully support MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy, and the Commissioner’s enforcement of the Policy.”
Bauer is the sixteenth player to be suspended as a part of the league’s policy on domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. His suspension is twice so long as another player has received under the policy and he’s the primary of the players to say he would appeal the choice, making this uncharted territory for each player and league.
