Trevor Bauer’s next stop: An Atlantic League opening night start with the Long Island Ducks CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. – Former Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer has signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League and is scheduled to pitch opening night on April 21 for the minor league team. The Ducks announced the signing Thursday for Bauer’s 15th professional season. Bauer will wear a mic for all games and practices, helping create content for both his and the team’s outlets. Bauer has been trying to revive his big-league career after serving a 194-game suspension for violating MLB’s domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy. He was never charged with a crime in the matter, and civil claims against him were settled. Bauer was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers in January 2023. The right-hander pitched in Japan in 2023 and 2025, sandwiched around one season with Diablos Rojos in the Mexican Baseball League in 2024. “I’m looking forward to competing in front of U.S. fans again this season,” Bauer said in a statement. “The Ducks have had some incredible players come through their organization, and I’m excited to be part of that tradition.” Bauer was 4-10 with a 4.41 ERA with Yokohama last year. He was named the Mexican Baseball League’s pitcher of the year in 2024. This story has been corrected to show Bauer won the Mexican Baseball League’s pitcher of the year award in 2024, not 2025. The signing marks a significant step in Bauer’s career, as he seeks to reestablish himself in professional baseball. After his suspension, which ended in 2024, Bauer faced challenges in securing a roster spot in Major League Baseball. His move to the Atlantic League represents a strategic decision to regain form and visibility while avoiding the complexities of MLB negotiations.#mexican_baseball_league #atlantic_league #trevor_bauer #long_island_ducks #diablos_rojos
Dodgers’ $102 million Bust Signs With Surprising New York Team The Long Island Ducks, an independent minor league baseball team, have signed Trevor Bauer, the former National League Cy Young Award winner, to start for the team on April 21, the opening game of the Atlantic League’s 2025 season. Bauer, 35, will join the Ducks after his $102 million, three-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers was effectively nullified by a historic penalty under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy. The move marks a significant return to professional baseball for Bauer, who has spent the past five years pitching overseas after being suspended for a record 324 games in 2021 following domestic violence allegations. Bauer’s suspension was initially set at 324 games, the longest in MLB history, but it was reduced to 194 games in December 2022 after he appealed the decision. Despite his reinstatement, Bauer faced challenges in securing a major league contract, as no team offered him a deal despite his proven track record. Instead, he opted to pitch in Japan and Mexico, where he continued to compete professionally. In March 2024, he even faced the Dodgers in an independent league game with the Asian Breeze, a team based in Japan. Bauer’s time with the Ducks comes after a career spanning from 2012 to 2021, during which he pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians, Cincinnati Reds, and Dodgers. Over 222 games, he posted an 83-69 record with a 3.79 ERA. His most notable season came in 2020, when he won the NL Cy Young Award with the Reds. That year, he went 5-4 with a 1.73 ERA, recording two shutouts in 11 starts during the pandemic-shortened season. However, Bauer’s career took a dramatic turn in 2021 when multiple sexual abuse allegations surfaced against him.#los_angeles_dodgers #cincinnati_reds #trevor_bauer #long_island_ducks #atlantic_league
