What happened to disgraced MLB star pitcher Trevor Bauer?

Trevor Bauer had ascended to stardom in Major League Baseball, and it seemed like he would be one of the best pitchers of the decade. He had a confidence and a talent about him that put hitters in a defensive stance before they ever reached the plate. However, off the field trouble derailed a promising career. We’ll take a look at how Bauer got here, and what he’s up to now. All statistics sourced from Baseball Reference.

Bauer was born in 1991 in North Hollywood, California. From when he was little, he idolized Atlanta Braves pitchers Greg Maddux and John Smoltz according to Sports Illustrated. His track to become a major leaguer started young, as his father helped him replicate the pitching mechanics of the best throwers of the 1990’s and 2000’s.

Bauer was so singularly determined to reach his goal that he often shut out other aspects of his life. For example, he took throwing tennis balls against a fence so seriously that other children would look at him and wonder why he got so much enjoyment out of it, according to Sports Illustrated. Bauer’s indifference towards being different has always made him unique.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Bauer decided to stay close to home for college, as the attended the University of California, Los Angeles. With the support of his family nearby, Bauer would get to eat homecooked meals such as his sister’s delectable pie as per Heavy.com. With his sweet tooth catered to, Bauer performed well enough to catch the eye of major league scouts on campus.

Bauer was selected third overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2011 MLB Draft. He would only appear in four games with the Diamondbacks before being involved in a blockbuster trade that sent him to the Cleveland Guardians. It took him a few years to develop into a reliable starting pitcher.

Bauer was an important part of the Guardians team that made it to the World Series in 2016, but really came into his own in 2018. That season, Bauer was named to the All Star team and eclipsed the 200 strikeout threshold for the first time. He also pitched to an outstanding 2.21 ERA, while minimizing his walks.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Despite his greatness, Bauer rubbed some people the wrong way. A highlight(or lowlight) of his career came in July 2019, when he threw a ball over the centerfield wall in Kansas City after manager Terry Francona was coming to take him out of the game. Three days after the incident, Bauer was traded to the Cincinnati Reds.

Bauer had a terrible second half with the Reds in 2019, but was sensational during the abridged 2020 campaign. He won the National League Cy Young award that year, pitching to a microscopic 1.73 ERA, and leading MLB in several statistical categories.

As an impending free agent, Bauer was looking to strike it rich in the offseason, and he would have multiple suitors bidding for his services.

The Los Angeles Dodgers outbid other suitors for Bauer’s services, signing him to a three-year, $102 million deal. It turns out Bauer would only pitch in 17 games for Los Angeles in the 2021 season, but he was effective in those games. The former Cy Young winner had a 2.59 ERA during that time frame.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

It was right around Bauer’s free agency in 2020-2021 that stories started to pop up about some troubling behavior. A woman claimed that Bauer had physically assaulted her, and went into striking detail about what he allegedly did. After she came forward, three other women claimed that Bauer assaulted them in a similar fashion.

With a potential public relations nightmare impending, MLB suspended Bauer for what ended up being 324 games. This cost him the remainder of the 2021 season, and all of the 2022 campaign. MLB was going to reinstate Bauer to allow him to play in 2023, but the Dodgers released the pitcher before the season began.

No other MLB franchise showed interest in Bauer, wanting to distance themselves from the horrid things he was accused of. To continue his baseball career, he signed with the Yokohama Baystars in Japan.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

He was also named to the Nippon Baseball League All-Star team. It’ll be interesting to see how long Bauer’s professional career lasts in Japan.

According to ESPN in October 2023, Bauer and his first accuser came to a settlement agreement. According to a statement made by Bauer's attorney, the MLB pitcher was not liable to pay the woman any money, as she received $300,000 from her insurance company.

Bauer told Fox News that he thoroughly enjoyed his experience in Japan, citing the atmosphere at the stadium and the passion of the fans. With his legal troubles seemingly behind him, Bauer appears interested in resuming his career in Major League Baseball. Fans will be dialed into seeing whether he gets an opportunity.