Trevor Bauer issues statement after signing with Japanese team

Trevor Bauer issued a statement on Monday after signing with a new team.

Bauer signed a one-year deal with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan. The contract pays him $4 million in base salary.

This will be Bauer’s first time pitching in professional baseball since June 2021, which is when he was placed on paid administrative leave by MLB after facing some allegations of sexual misconduct.

The 2020 NL Cy Young Award winner is happy to be playing again.

“I am very excited to be able to play for the BayStars this season," Bauer said in a statement. "It is my dream to play in the Japanese professional baseball world, and I will be able to show that dream in front of the fans. As a team, I don’t think there is a better team than the BayStars. I am very happy to have the opportunity to become a member of a wonderful team and aim for the championship together. I miss the players and the fans. I’m already looking forward to it, and I’m looking forward to seeing you in the city of Yokohama."

Bauer is still being paid $22.5 million by the Los Angeles Dodgers this season, so the money he receives from the BayStars will be in addition to his Dodgers money.

Bauer still has several legal cases pending in the U.S., which include lawsuits with some of his accusers, as well as some defamation lawsuits he has filed.

No MLB team was ready to sign him, apparently, which has led Bauer to play in Japan. Perhaps his time away will ease his path back to MLB eventually, or it could be the start of a new career in Japan.

Bauer is 32 and had just started to pitch to the best of his abilities in 2020—going 5-4 with a 1.73 ERA in 2020 for the Cincinnati Reds. And in 2021 with the Dodgers, Bauer was 8-5 with a 2.59 ERA.