The Dodgers cut ties with Bauer on Friday, a day after he was handed the longest-ever suspension for an active player under MLB's domestic violence policy.
Bauer will most likely be released from the team after he clears waivers.
The decision comes two weeks after an independent arbitrator trimmed Bauer's suspension from 332 games to 194, reinstating him immediately but docking his pay for the rest of the season. The Dodgers have 14 days to decide whether to add him to their roster or let him go.
They waited until Friday's deadline to make their decision and chose a route that had been expected for a long time.
Due process should be given to the accused of sexual assault or domestic violence according to the Dodgers organization. We followed the process stipulated under MLB's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual assault and Child Abuse Policy from the start.
The longest active player suspension in the history of our sport was found to be due to Mr. Bauer's actions. After careful consideration, we have decided that he won't be a part of our organization.
If another team signs him in the open market, the Dodgers will save $720,000, the major league minimum, because they're on the hook for the $22.50 million he's still owed for his final season.
The Dodgers signed Bauer to a three-year, $102 million contract in February of 2021, but he didn't pitch in the first year.
A woman from San Diego filed a request for a domestic violence restraining order against Bauer after accusing him of assault over the course of two sexual encounters at his Pasadena, California, home.
The woman's request for a permanent restraining order was dismissed by an L.A. judge. Two other women made similar accusations. The suspension for Bauer was twice as long as the previous longest one under the domestic violence policy.
The MLB and the MLB Players' Association retained the services of an independent arbitrator who spent parts of the next eight months presiding over Bauer's case, reviewing findings and listening to testimony before making a decision on Bauer's suspension. Bauer would be docked pay for his remaining 50 games at the start of the 2023 season but would be restored immediately, leaving the rest to the Dodgers.
When it was revealed three days before Christmas, the Dodgers were caught off guard and didn't know when a decision would be made. Their initial statement -- "We have just been informed of the arbitrator's ruling and will comment as soon as practical" -- was strikingly noncommittal.
Bauer's merchandise was removed from the stores of the Dodgers after MLB placed him on leave. Stan Kasten, the team president, sent an email to employees in August 2021, saying he was troubled by the allegations against Bauer. The team has not commented on anything outside of that. They weren't allowed access to the details of MLB's investigation or the reasons behind the arbiter's ruling, which explains their delay in reaching a final decision.
The Golden Spikes Award was won by Bauer when he was at UCLA. He clashed with his Arizona teammates, prompting a trade after his first full season, and was at the center of two incidents in Cleveland, allegedly cutting his finger with a drone before a 2016 playoff start and throwing a ball over the center-field fence.
While with the Cincinnati Reds, Bauer won the Cy Young Award in 2020 after making a case for it in the previous year. The Dodgers outbid the New York Mets to sign Bauer despite the fact that he had a history of cyberbully. Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers president of baseball operations, said at Bauer's introductory news conference that he believed Bauer had learned from previous transgressions.
Friedman said that everyone would make mistakes. I want to know how we internalize it and what our thoughts are about it. It was important for us to have that discussion. We felt good about it after we left. Time will tell. I think he's going to be a great addition, not just on the field, but in the community, and that's why we're here.
In the first three months of his time in L.A., Bauer had a 2.59 earned run average.
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