Over a year after being released by the Los Angeles Dodgers for violating the league's domestic violence policy, Trevor Bauer has finally received an opportunity to pitch against his former team — albeit not under the circumstances he was hoping for.
According to an announcement made on Thursday by Asian Breeze — which is a traveling Japanese showcase baseball team — Bauer has not only joined their roster, but is slated to pitch against the team that released him.
The statement writes, 'Asian Breeze is extremely excited to announce that Trevor Bauer will be making his Asian Breeze debut on March 10th against the Los Angeles Dodgers Organization.'
Asian Breeze is scheduled to face Dodgers' minor leaguers at the team's Camelback Ranch spring training facility in Arizona.
So although Bauer probably wanted to showcase his skills against Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts, he'll have to settle with facing guys who haven't yet made it to the Dodgers' big league team.
The Asian Breeze outlet also noted that they're who picked the opponents that Bauer would face in Arizona this spring. So while it seems, well, serendipitous that Bauer just happened to join the Breeze days before they faced off against his former team, this timing appears to be sheer coincidence.
It's also notable that, per the statement, Bauer will likely pitch multiple times for the Breeze during spring training.
Perhaps this is the perfect opportunity for Bauer — who has never actually been charged with a crime — to showcase that he's still an MLB-caliber pitcher.
Almost a month ago, it was reported that Bauer — whose $45 million salary was the most money that any MLB player was getting paid at the time he was released by Los Angeles, in 2022 — would be willing to accept the lowest possible pay ($740,000, plus incentives) in order to return to the MLB.
Yet, no team has been willing to take a chance in Bauer; more so because of the aforementioned allegations, as opposed to his pitching prowess.
Once the season gets underway, we wouldn't be surprised to see an injury-riddled or starter-depleted team — say, the Boston Red Sox — strike a deal with Bauer.
In the meantime, the 2020 NL Cy Young award winner can only hope and pray he pitches well against his former team's minor leaguers this weekend.
