An MLB pitcher, who at one point in his career was crowned as the best pitcher in the National League, has signed with the Long Island Ducks, the team announced on Thursday, April 2.
Trevor Bauer, who last pitched in Major League Baseball in 2021 and has since played in multiple international leagues, joins the Atlantic League team ahead of their season debut. The team announced that Bauer will be its opening night starter on April 21 at Fairfield Properties Ballpark against the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars.
Bauer will be “Mic’d Up” for all games and practices for content creation, with the content featured on his and the team’s social media and streaming outlets, the Ducks said.
“The Ducks have had some incredible players come through their organization, and I’m excited to be part of that tradition,” Bauer said in a statement.
“We are excited to welcome Trevor to Long Island,” team President/CBO, Michael Pfaff, said in a statement. “His talent and knowledge will be important additions to our ballclub, and we are happy to offer him this opportunity to showcase his talents to MLB clubs while giving fans unprecedented access to Ducks baseball.”
The team did not announce the financial details of the contract.
Bauer, a 2011 first-round draft pick, made his MLB debut in 2012 with the Arizona Diamondbacks before being traded to the Cleveland Indians ahead of the 2013 season. He became a starting pitcher for the team, including pitching in pivotal games during Cleveland’s run to the 2016 World Series.
Bauer was named an All-Star for the first time in 2018, a season that saw him earn a career-best 6.0 wins above replacement. He finished sixth in American League Cy Young voting that season, but his best was yet to come.
Bauer started the 2019 season with Cleveland but was traded to the Cincinnati Reds before the trade deadline. He set career-highs with 213 innings pitched and 253 strikeouts across 34 starts.
Bauer’s most prolific season came during the shortened 2020 campaign. The pitcher led the majors with a 1.73 ERA and 3.0 wins above replacement, and went 5-4 across 11 starts. He was named the National League Cy Young winner, cementing Bauer as the best pitcher in the league that year.
Bauer cashed in on his award-winning season by signing a major three-year, $102 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of the 2021 season. Bauer made 17 starts for the Dodgers, going 8-5 with a 2.59 ERA. It wasn’t Bauer’s performance that took him off the MLB field, but rather his off-the-field issues.
The pitcher served a 194-game suspension for violating MLB’s domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, and was released by the Dodgers in January 2023. Bauer was never charged with a crime and civil claims were settled.
Bauer kept his career afloat internationally, playing in Japan and Mexico over the past three seasons, but said he is excited to play in front of an American crowd.
“I’m looking forward to competing in front of U.S. fans again this season,” Bauer said.
The Ducks were purchased by REV Entertainment, the sports and entertainment arm of the Texas Rangers, in January.
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- Source: https://www.amny.com/news/former-mlb-cy-young-winner-signs-with-long-island-ducks/