Twins catcher fires back at radio host advocating Trevor Bauer’s MLB return

Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers recently hit back at a radio show host for advocating Trevor Bauer's return to the MLB. The former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher was suspended by the league in 2022 for sexual assault allegations. He has since not been signed by any MLB team and continues to play in Japan's NPB.

Trevor Bauer made his major league debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2012 and went on to spend a decade in the MLB, playing for several teams over the years. He won the Cy Young award in 2020 with the Cincinnati Reds in 2020, which earned him a move to the Dodgers the following year.

Despite his impressive performances on the field, his life off the field has been plagued by controversy. His off-field troubles reached its peak when he was accused of sexual assault in 2022 and was eventually designated for assignment by the Dodgers the following year.

When Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers appeared in a recent episode of The Power Trip podcast, the host asked for his thoughts on Bauer's return to the MLB. In an X clip posted on Friday, Jeffers said no major league team would be willing to have him in the clubhouse, saying:

"Did you explain to your 13-year-old what Trevor Bauer is accused of? It might put a different light on some of his videos."

"I think it's great what he's doing for the youth side of things... But I think that's different when you try and put that dynamic in a big league clubhouse. There's a lot that can go sideways when there's that type of character in a clubhouse. Put aside all the legal stuff that went on... I think there's more worry about the cloud that comes aroung him."

There seems to be some truth to Jeffers's words as no MLB team has shown any interest in signing Bauer since his suspension three years ago. As of now, he has signed with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars to start a second stint in the NPB.

Yankees reportedly uninterested in signing Trevor Bauer after Gerrit Cole injury

New York Yankees found themselves in a tough spot this month after losing starting pitcher Gerrit Cole to a UCL injury which will keep him sidelined for the entire season. Shortly after the news, Trevor Bauer on X jokingly offered to sign for the Yankees for $0 for the 2025 season. However, Bob Klapisch of NJ.com reports that the New York side have no intentions of signing Bauer, writing:

"Not only are the Yankees not interested, but I was told by a person with knowledge of the situation that Bauer's name hasn't even come up since Cole was diagnosed with a torn UCL."

As things stand, Bauer still remains too much of a controversial figure for MLB teams to get involved with. It remains to be seen if he will ever get a chance to return.