MLB places Trevor Bauer back on administrative leave for spring training
Trevor Bauer will start spring training the same way he ended the 2021 MLB season: on administrative leave, waiting for someone to make a firm decision.
MLB placed Bauer back on paid leave Friday, according to the Los Angeles Times' Bill Shaikin, continuing a state of limbo that has been in place since he was accused of sexual assault last July. The leave reportedly extends through March 19 and can be further extended by agreement between the league and MLBPA.
The offseason brought at least one resolution to Bauer's case when the Los Angeles County district attorney's office opted to not bring charges against the pitcher, but MLB's investigation in the case has continued after a pause due to the lockout.
The league is reportedly expected to pursue an interview with Bauer and give him a chance to respond to its findings.
What's left to figure out with Trevor Bauer?
Bauer is likely facing a lengthy suspension, but there are still a number of variables that could decide how long he is away from the field and how much of money he will lose from the three-year, $102 million contract he signed with the Dodgers last offseason.
As the Times notes, all 15 players previously suspended under MLB's policy regarding domestic violence and sexual assault have accepted a settlement in which they agreed not to appeal the discipline. Bauer, never one to back down from a public fight, has maintained throughout this saga that he has done nothing wrong and could insist on appealing his likely suspension.
The longest any player has been suspended under that sexual assault policy is the 162 games levied against Sam Dyson in 2021. Should Bauer receive a similar punishment, he could insist on his administrative leave count as time served, which would free him to play midway through the season.
Because that leave was paid, the Dodgers could recoup a portion of his $28 million salary last season, while a full suspension this year would leave them off the hook for his $32 million salary for the upcoming season.
Whenever Bauer is allowed back and however much money he receives, the Dodgers may still opt to wash their hands of him, though that may set up yet another battle over the remaining salary on his contract.
