There has been considerable buzz this offseason about a potential MLB return for Trevor Bauer. The controversial former National League Cy Young Award winner has expressed his interest in returning to the majors, however, former MLB GM Jim Bowden believes that this will not come to fruition.
In a recent interview on the hit baseball channel, Foul Territory, the former General Manager of the Cincinnati Reds spoke about the Trevor Bauer situation. Although Bauer has been cleared of any criminal actions, Bowden believes that recent admissions by the former ace will make teams second guess bringing him in for the new campaign.
"Trevor Bauer's Major League career is over. I'm not going to get into what witnesses or allegations have said. I'm going to base my answer strictly on Bauer's admissions. Based on his admissions, no MLB team would give him another opportunity," Bowden said.
Bauer recently admitted that he made several mistakes throughout his career and hoped that the changes he had incorporated in his life would help him get another shot in the MLB.
The 32-year-old pitcher had been a polarizing player before the sexual assault case against him, as his outrageous and outspoken attitude divided fans. Now, Bauer will need to prove to teams that he has matured as a man if he is going to land another gig in the MLB. He has been linked to multiple teams, including the Houston Astros, Texas Rangers and New York Yankees.
A look at Trevor Bauer's 2023 season in Japan
If MLB teams can overlook Bauer's prior transgressions and the potential media distraction that may come with signing him, he can be an asset as he has remained an effective pitcher. The former Los Angeles Dodgers star spent last season in Japan, where he proved that there is still plenty of life left in his arm.
Bauer spent last season with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan's top baseball league. During his brief stint in the NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball), Bauer posted an impressive 10-4 record with a 2.76 ERA and 130 strikeouts over 130.2 innings.