One of the women who accused Trevor Bauer of sexual misconduct gets indicted on fraud charges.
One for Bauer
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Tag Archives: Trevor Bauer
Cole’s Elbow
There is an unconfirmed report that Gerrit Cole does not need Tommy John surgery:
Cole has been advised to rest and undergo noninvasive treatment, and will be shut down for at least a month, a source said. The Yankees have not given a timetable for Cole’s return.
ESPN.com
A friend of mine suggested the Yankees sign Trevor Bauer. It makes sense if the Yankees are trying to avoid giving big money to a free agent. The Dodgers are paying Bauer’s salary, so the Yankees could get him cheap. If he pitches poorly, he can be released easily enough. If he pitches well, the Yankees have an even stronger rotation when and if Cole returns.
The Yankees have a history of bringing in or back players suspended for domestic abuse. The team was able to get Ardolis Chapman cheap when his personal life made him difficult to move, and they were able to bring back Domingo German. They can probably weather the bad press they would get bringing Bauer on the team, especially if he pitches well.
A Second Chance?
Trevor Bauer expressed some contrition as he tries to return to Major League Baseball:
“I agreed to do things I shouldn’t have done,” Bauer said in a television interview with Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.” “It was reckless. It hurt a lot of people along the way. It made things very difficult for Major League Baseball, for the Dodgers, my teammates, friends, family, people close to me. So, I’ve done a lot of reflecting on that and made a lot of changes in my life to address that.”
Asked if he was apologizing for his actions, Bauer said, “I’m certainly taking accountability for my role in this. I’ve put myself in a lot of positions that have made things very hard for people, and I’m trying to be better.”
ESPN.com
His ego remains large, however:
“I’m still one of the best pitchers in the world.
Alex Rodriguez rehabilitated his image enough to get back into the good graces of the game, although not the Hall of Fame. We’ll see if Bauer can do the same.
Betts on Bauer
Mookie Betts appears to be okay with a team signing Trevor Bauer:
Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Mookie Betts hopes major league teams consider signing his former teammate, pitcher Trevor Bauer, this winter.
”It’s something to think about,” Betts told the Los Angeles Times on Monday at the World Series in Phoenix.
…
”My experience with Bauer is not anything remotely close to what everyone else’s experience is. I love him. I think he’s an awesome guy. The personal things? I have no control. I have no say. Obviously, nothing ever came from it,” Betts told the Los Angeles Times.
“He’s an awesome pitcher. He’s a great guy, somebody who wants to take the mound every fifth day. But, at the end of the day, I don’t make the decision. That’s a decision that’s not as simple as baseball.”
StarTribune.com
There are two very different sides to the story in this case. If a team does sign him, they’ll have to deal with a public relations mess. We’ll see.
Bauer’s Settlement
I would say this ESPN article about Trevor Bauer’s lawsuit settlement downplays the evidence Bauer puts forward for his innocence.
Here’s video if you haven’t seen it.
Another Win for Bauer
Trevor Bauer gets another win in the legal world as The Athletic amends a story to end a defamation suit by the pitcher. He continues to do poorly in the court of public opinion, however.
Bauer a Winner
Trevor Bauer pitches to a record crowd in Japan and wins his first start with the Baystars:
Japanese fans have welcomed him, women have not organized to protest his presence, and he is being given the benefit of the doubt. For his part, Bauer is talking up every aspect of playing in Japan.
“I just want to win,” Bauer said. “I want to contribute to that. I want to pitch well. I want to entertain the fans.”
Yokohama fan Shohei Horikawa stood inside Yokohama’s stadium and summed up what many in Japan feel.
“I know he had some issues in the past, but he was not convicted,” Horikawa said, wearing a Bauer No. 96 jersey. “I want him to reset himself in Japan without any prejudice and to do his best.”
ESPN.com
We’ll see if he can rehabilitate his image enough to pitch in MLB again.
Seems that Sex Farm is on the Charts in Japan
Trevor Bauer drew a big crowd to a minor league start in Japan:
Pitching for the Yokohama BayStars minor league team in nearby Yokosuka, Japan — best known as the home of the United States Seventh Fleet — he allowed four hits, no runs and struck out six in four innings before 2,600 fans.
The minor-league park usually draws a few hundred spectators. The team said live streaming views reached 77,000 — 15 times the usual 5,000.
Chron.com
The rehabilitation tour begins. He pitched well in his first outing.
Bauer in Japan
Trevor Bauer joined the Yokohama DeNA Bay Stars:
Bauer said his goal with the BayStars was to strike out 200 and keep his average fastball velocity at 96 mph — hence his uniform number. He said he is also working on a better change-up pitch.
He said he hoped to play by mid-April — about two weeks after the Japanese season begins — and said he has been training for the last 1 1/2 years.
“I’ve been doing a lot of strength training and throwing,” he said. “I didn’t really take any time off. So I’ve had a year and a half of development time. I’m stronger than ever. More powerful than ever.”
Yokohama has not won a title in 25 years, and Bauer said that was his goal in the one-year deal.
ESPN.com
The Bay Stars finished last in 2022. This is the type of MLB team that might have signed Bauer, a team that has not won a championship in years. Instead, a that type of team from a foreign league signed him.
Note that this gives Bauer a chance to rehabilitate himself. If he pitches well and keeps his nose clean, there might be a major league contract for him next year.
Dodgers Speak on Bauer
The Dodgers spoke to reporters about the release of Trevor Bauer. Here they address why they took two weeks to reach their decision:
“There were no games we were playing,” Kasten said. “We had the time. Check all our bases, get all the info you could get to make a decision, which we did, and that included hearing from Trevor because we had not spoken to him since the beginning of this. And because we had the time, we took the time to get as much info as we can to be sure we were making the right decision. That’s what we did. We feel like we made the right decision. And we’ll move on.”
ESPN.com
That’s fine. No one can accuse them of not listening.
Whither Bauer?
Mike DiGiovanna speaks with general managers about the possibility of a team signing Trevor Bauer, who was released by the Dodgers on Thursday. Most believed no team would sign him, but one GM went out on a limb:
“He’s so affordable, I wouldn’t be surprised if somebody does sign him and weathers the storm for spring training and the first two weeks of the season and then hopes it kind of dies down,” said one GM who was granted anonymity to speak freely about the situation.
“Maybe it’s not spring training [that Bauer signs], maybe it’s May 1 or June 1, maybe it’s more strategically timed for a team to get out of spring training and avoid the early noise, but I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t play again.”
LATimes.com
And it may not be this year. There’s also the possibility Bauer goes overseas to play.
Dodgers and Bauer Split
In an expected move, the Dodgers designated Trevor Bauer for assignment:
Bauer was designated for assignment, which means the Dodgers have until 2 p.m. ET on Thursday to find a trade partner. If they can’t, Bauer will be placed on unconditional release waivers. If he clears those, he’ll be officially released and become a free agent the following day, which is considered the likely scenario.
The Dodgers’ decision came two weeks after an independent arbitrator trimmed Bauer’s suspension from 324 games to 194, reinstating him immediately but docking his pay for the remaining 50 games to begin the 2023 season. The ruling triggered a 14-day window for the Dodgers to decide whether to add him to their 40-man roster.
ESPN.com
I find this odd:
Bauer says he was told by Dodgers leadership on Thursday that they “wanted me to return and pitch for the team this year.”
There is mild disagreement from the Dodgers on that last point:
The Dodgers declined comment on Bauer’s claims. However, according to people familiar with the situation but not authorized to comment publicly, the team’s actions Friday spoke for themselves and no such indications were provided in Thursday’s meeting.
LATimes.com
There is little reason to trade for Bauer at this point. If a team wants him, they can get him at the league minimum, with the Dodgers picking up the rest of the salary. While I doubt a team will sign him, I don’t discount some team giving him a try. He might put a team on the verge of contention over the top, and there is a lot of forgiveness when a team wins.
Bauer Back
The Dodgers have another arm for their rotation:
An arbitrator reduced pitcher Trevor Bauer’s record suspension from 324 games to 194 games on Thursday, clearing Bauer to return to Major League Baseball after the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher missed all of 2022 serving a ban for violating the league’s domestic violence policy.
Bauer’s appeal of the suspension was partially successful, as he’ll be immediately eligible to play and will retain most of his $35.3 million salary in 2023.
AZCentral.com
The Dodgers now have two weeks to decide if they want to reinstate him. If not, they can release him for $22 million. What happens then is anyone’s guess. Teams do take runs at supposedly toxic players, as the Yankees and Cubs did with Aroldis Chapman.
Bauer Gets an L
Trevor Bauer suffered a set-back in court:
Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer and his attorneys misrepresented the findings of the judge who denied a restraining order to a woman who accused him of sexual assault, according to a tentative ruling posted on a federal court website Friday.
LATimes.com
That could lead to the dismissal of that particular defamation suit.
Due Diligence
Here is a quote from when the Dodgers signed Trevor Bauer:
Back then, Bauer told reporters, “I’m doing my best to be better.” And Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, said the team’s due diligence focused on talking to Bauer, his former teammates and previous organizations.
“We came away from it feeling good about it,” Friedman said at the time. “Now, obviously time will tell, but I feel like he’s going to be a tremendous add, not just on the field, but in the clubhouse and the community.”
Chron.com
When the Mets fired Jared Porter over sexual harassment, it came out that in doing their due diligence, the team never spoke with any women. It looks like this may be the case with the Dodgers, even though Bauer’s social media gave them reason to do so. It might be a good idea to put a sign up in the office of everyone in MLB who hires that says, “Talk to women.”
Never Argue with a Man Who Buys Pixels by the Terrabyte
Trevor Bauer is suing Molly Knight and the Athletic:
Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer filed a defamation lawsuit against the Athletic and one of its former writers Tuesday, alleging “a campaign to maliciously target and harass” him.
The complaint, filed in United States District Court in Los Angeles, claims the website and the writer, Molly Knight, published knowingly false information about Bauer online and on Twitter “with hatred, ill will, and spite, with the intent to harm Mr. Bauer or in blatant disregard of the substantial likelihood of causing him harm.”
LATimes.com
I really wonder if Bauer’s lawyer think this is a good idea. Does Bauer really want the The Athletic, now owned by the New York Times, digging into his past relationships? On top of that, there types of suits are extremely difficult to win.
Bauer may be setting up, however, to fight an MLB suspension. So far, Bauer won in all the legal proceeding brought against him. If Bauer wins the suit, or even if he loses and his opponents bring no other damning evidence against him, he can turn around a sue MLB for suspending him.
Of course, it could be that Bauer has a huge ego, and has to grind any opponent into the ground. Whatever the reason for the lawsuit, I’m very interested in the eventual outcome.
Bauer Speaks
Trevor Bauer addresses the allegation against him in a video.
Bauer Free
Prosecutors decided they did not have a good case against Trevor Bauer:
After reviewing physical evidence, witness statements and court proceedings when the woman sought a restraining order, prosecutors determined there was insufficient evidence to win a conviction.
Chron.com
Now that the legal proceeding are over, MLB will likely act. As we’ve seen in the past, lack of prosecution has not stopped baseball from disciplining players.
Bauer Still With the Dodgers
Trevor Bauer declined to opt-out of his contract with the Dodgers. With his off the field troubles unsettled, no other team was going to offer him a contract. Nolan Arenado also declined his opt-out. He posted WARs over five in his four previous full seasons, but now owns a total of five WAR in 1 1/3 seasons with the Cardinals. Not opting out is a good sign that a team overpaid a player.
The Bauer Situation
The Los Angeles Times answers questions about the state of the Trevor Bauer investigation:
If the district attorney decides not to charge Bauer with a crime, then what happens?
LATimes.com
Baseball’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy, collectively bargained between the commissioner’s office and the players’ union, empowers Manfred to suspend a player for violating the policy. A player need not be charged or convicted.
Most of the suspensions MLB handed down came when charges were dropped or never prosecuted.
Get that Man Some Genie Pants
Trevor Bauer is asking the court to order his accuser to pay Bauer’s legal fees stemming from defending the restraining order against him:
Under the California Family Code, a court can order attorney fees paid to the prevailing party in a restraining order case.
If the party seeking protection prevails, the court must consider “(1) the respective incomes and needs of the parties, and (2) any factors affecting the parties’ respective abilities to pay.” However, the code does not specify what factors the court should consider if the party defending himself or herself prevails.
LATimes.com
One might think that Bauer should be happy for the win and go home. Bauer may see this as a way to fight for his job. Not only did she lose, the case was so egregious that the judge made her pay my legal fees! How can you suspend me?
I’m not surprised by this at all. Hyper-competitive professional athletes can’t lose at anything.
Leave Left Alone
No Restraint
Trevor Bauer wins against the woman who sought a restraining order against him:
Gould-Saltman determined that Bauer did not pose a threat to the 27-year-old woman, who accused him of sexual assault over the course of two sexual encounters, and that her injuries were not the result of anything she verbally objected to before or during the encounter.
The judge said the “injuries as shown in the photographs are terrible” but added, “If she set limits and he exceeded them, this case would’ve been clear. But she set limits without considering all the consequences, and respondent did not exceed limits that the petitioner set.”
ESPN.com
Now the ball is in the hands of the police and Major League Baseball.
Wackadoodle Indians
Cross examination of the woman seeking a restraining order against Trevor Bauer revealed she had relationships with Fernando Tatis Jr.and Mike Clevinger. Clevinger and Bauer were teammates in Cleveland, and it appears they might have something more in common:
About the time of her first sexual encounter with Bauer, the woman said in a message to her cousin: “Trevor is a wackadoodle like Clev.”
LATimes com
Maybe MLB should be looking into Clevinger as well.
Another Bauer Accusation
Another woman filed a restraining order against Trevor Bauer in June of 2020. Here is the original Washington Post article, but you need a subscription. I’m pulling this information from MSN.com:
The investigation by the Post outlines that an Ohio woman filed a temporary order of protection in June 2020 when Bauer pitched for the Cincinnati Reds. The Post reported that it obtained photos showing facial injuries that the woman’s attorney said Bauer caused by punching and choking her during sex without consent. The story also reports that the woman attempted to show police officers photos of her injuries in an incident at Bauer’s apartment in 2017.
“This is a continuation by the woman and her attorneys to make good on their threats to harm me by perpetuating false narrative,” Bauer said in a post on social media. “This has been a game to her from the beginning but my life is not a game and I won’t stand by idly and allow this conduct to continue.”
MSN.com
Stay tuned, but a terrible situation just managed to get worse.
Bauer Still Out
A source says MLB extended Trevor Bauer‘s leave based on a domestic violence charge to two more weeks.
Major League Baseball and the Pasadena Police Department are conducting separate investigations into Bauer after the woman said in the order that he choked her until she lost consciousness on multiple occasions, punching her in several areas of her body and leaving her with injuries that required hospitalization over the course of two sexual encounters this year, the last of which occurred on May 16 at Bauer’s Pasadena, California, home.
ESPN.com
Bauer’s representatives say the relationship was consensual. That brings me to an aspect of this story I have not seen discussed. Given the various articles on the subject one might infer that Bauer is aroused by violence. Does MLB, the Players Association, and opposing batters really want someone like that throwing baseballs at people? This isn’t an anger management issue, this is a personal preference issue. How MLB deals with that aspect of the case will be very challenging.
Bauer Makes Like a Tree
Major League Baseball put Trevor Bauer on leave:
Major League Baseball placed Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer on a seven-day administrative leave Friday amid allegations of sexual assault.
Bauer, who had been scheduled to pitch Sunday in Washington, D.C., has denied the allegations and released a statement that he will not appeal MLB’s decision.
As we await the next development in this case, let’s take a closer look at Friday’s news, what it means, where the investigation stands and what could happen next.
ESPN.com
This is not a suspension, but it gives MLB time to investigate the allegations without Bauer causing a bigger distraction to the team.
Allegations Against Bauer
The Athletic details the allegations that led to a restraining order being taken out against Trevor Bauer (may require a subscription). If this turns out to be true, I suspect Bauer’s career will be over, as it will be difficult to pitch from a jail cell.
The alleged assaults described by the woman, which are extremely graphic in nature, happened during what she said began as consensual sexual encounters between the two. According to the woman’s declaration attached to the request and obtained by The Athletic, she suffered injuries as a result of the second encounter, including two black eyes, a bloodied swollen lip, significant bruising and scratching to one side of her face. In the woman’s declaration, signed under penalty of perjury of California state laws, she said that her medical notes state that she had “significant head and facial trauma” and that there were signs of basilar skull fracture.
TheAthletic.com
A hearing is scheduled for July 23.
Bauer Accusation
Trevor Bauer of the Dodgers faces an assault investigation:
Authorities were looking into an assault allegation against Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer, Pasadena police said Tuesday.
Lt. Bill Grisafe of the Pasadena Police Department said officials were investigating an allegation from a woman about an incident that allegedly occurred in Pasadena on or about May 16.
He said police opened an investigation a few weeks ago and could not provide more information about the allegation. Court records show a woman filed a restraining order against Bauer during that time frame.
LATimes.com
Bauer’s agent denied the charges.
Games of the Day
The Cubs send Kyle Hendricks against the Brewers and Freddy Peralta in an NL Central tilt. Milwaukee leads the Cubs by three games in the division. After a slow start to the season, Hendricks won his last eight starts, posting a 2.25 ERA along the way. He allowed few hits despite a low strikeout rate. Peralta comes into the game with a 2.11 ERA. His 114 K in 81 innings led him to allow just 37 hits.
Another 1-2 division match-up takes place in Los Angeles as the Giants send Anthony DeSclafani against the Dodgers and Trevor Bauer. The Dodgers ripped DeSclafani this year, scoring 12 runs in 7 1/3 innings against him over two games. Bauer allowed 17 home runs this season, twelve with the bases empty and five with a man of first base. Those account for 22 of the 36 RBI against him, as he allowed a .115 BA with runners in scoring position.
Enjoy!