Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES, CA — In the end, the guy was just too toxic. Trevor Bauer, the mercurial Cy Young winner whose Dodger career came to a screeching halt after horrendous allegations were leveled against him in 2021, is a Dodger no more. At the last possible moment, the organization released a statement saying that their star pitcher was being released.
The Dodgers no longer have Bauer on their roster, but he’s still on their payroll. Even if he signs with another team, the Dodgers are on the hook for the lion’s share of the $22 million that he’s going to be owed for this year.
So that’s it. He’s gone. And much as it completely sucks to not have a pitcher of his obvious talent on the roster, it was the right decision. The Dodgers are an organization that has a reputation that is second to none in baseball. It’s a team built on smarts and integrity. This is not the Bronx Zoo.
I’m sure Bauer will find another place to pitch, because that’s how life works. And if he can get his act together and become a better man, God love him for it. But not in a Dodger uniform. He can have all the second chances he wants pitching for somebody else.
After just 107.2 innings pitched, Trevor Bauer will prove to be the worst free agent signing in this team’s history, and it won’t even be close.
Take the L. Move on. Learn the lesson. Character still counts for something. Even in baseball.
