"They missed Bauer hitting 99 several times" - MLB analyst believes Trevor Bauer's performance against Dodgers minor-leaguers deserves more praise

On March 10, Trevor Bauer got his first glance at professional North American hitters in almost three years. Although the appearance did not come in an MLB uniform, the former Cy Young arm still had plenty of praise for himself.

Representing a Japanese tryout team called Asian Breeze, Bauer faced a number of Dodgers' minor leaguers on a backfield at Camelback Ranch in Arizona. Flashing his fastball, which hit 99 miles per hour, as well as his splitter, Bauer claimed that it was "obvious that I was still elite".

"Trevor Bauer touches 99MPH and goes 3 scoreless with 4 K and 1 BB for @breeze_asian vs @Dodgers minor leaguers today" - Prospect Dugout

Bauer was suspended for some 194 games in 2021 after finding himself at the center of sexual assault allegations. At the time, Bauer was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and owned a 8-5 record alongside a 2.59 ERA. The 33-year old spent last season pitching for the Yokohama DeNA Baystars of Japan's NPB.

Bauer is known for his provocative behavior, something that has made him plenty of enemies around the league. Now a free agent looking for an MLB contract, many believed that the right-hander was giving himself undue credit for the showing.

""Trevor Bauer dominates pitching against Los Angeles Dodgers minor leaguers, wanting to remind teams, ‘I’m still one of the best pitchers in the world" - Bob Nightengale

However, in a piece for USA Today, MLB analyst Bob Nightengale defending Bauer's outing. According to Nightengale, the showing proved that Bauer, who won the 2020 NL Cy Young Award as a member of the Cincinnati Reds, still has an elite arsenal of pitches at his disposal.

Public relations remains the biggest hurdle for Trevor Bauer

A former Arizona Diamondbacks first round draft pick, few have ever questioned Bauer's skill. For most of his time in MLB, Bauer dominated, and was not afraid to let people know. After his pitching outing on Sunday, Bauer doubled down, saying:

“I’m a better pitcher now than I was the last time people here saw me. Hopefully today reminded them that I’m still an elite pitcher"

Despite this, Trevor Bauer's antics as well as the baggage that comes with his now-dismissed sexual assault case is the largest deterrent for teams when it comes to offering a contract. As Bauer continues his campaign of finding a contract, convincing teams of his off-field composure will be just as important as convincing them of his on-field abilities.