Former NL Cy Young Award winner still seeking return to MLB

Bauer will turn 33 in January but his success in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NBP) League and his dominance in the majors as recently as 2021 could lead to a big-league offer. Of course, Bauer also has some baggage that any MLB team willing to take him on will have to deal with.

The 2011 third overall draft pick hasn't pitched in an MLB game since June 2021, when he first faced sexual assault allegations. In April 2022, the league handed down an unprecedented 324-game suspension for violation of the league's domestic violence policy.

Bauer appealed the decision, and what followed was a "seven-month grievance process that ended with an independent arbitrator ruling Dec. 22 that Bauer's suspension would be trimmed to 194 games and he would be reinstated immediately."

The Los Angeles Dodgers were unable to find a trade partner for Bauer last winter, which led to his release in January 2023. Los Angeles owes the 2011 No. 3 overall pick his remaining salary of $22.5M in 2023 but would've saved the major league minimum of $720K if another team had signed him.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office elected not to file criminal charges against Bauer stemming from the first set of allegations, citing a lack of evidence. The righthander sued the woman for defamation, and she filed a counterclaim alleging sexual battery. The pair of suits were settled earlier this year and Bauer released a video last month saying he was "happy to be moving on with (his) life."

Last March, the 2018 All-Star filed defamation lawsuits against The Athletic, Deadspin, Deadspin editor Chris Baud and former reporter from the Athletic Molly Knight. A federal judge dismissed the suits against Deadspin and Baud in March 2023 and Bauer settled his case against The Athletic and Knight in June.