Los Angeles Dodgers news: Trevor Bauer's violence investigation has the potential to change MLB's policies on how it deals with such incidents in future
In what has been a long, dragged on saga, Trevor Bauer's domestic violence investigation and possible suspension might be a landmark case for how the MLB will treat such incidents in the future.
Bauer hasn't made a professional game appearance since June 28, 2021. A day later, a San Diego woman was granted a restraining order against Bauer, claiming he had allegedly physically and sexually assaulted her months before.
Major League Baseball officials placed the pitcher under paid administrative leave for seven days starting on July 2, 2021. The paid hiatus has been renewed and extended by both the MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association ever since. Most recently, it was extended until April 22 of this year.
Trevor Bauer remains out of sight, but definitely not out of mind for the #Dodgers, @dylanohernandez writes latimes.com/sports/dodgers…
"Trevor Bauer remains out of sight, but definitely not out of mind for the #Dodgers" - @ L.A. Times Sports
The Los Angeles County district attorney's office has officially dropped the investigation and has clearly stated that Bauer won't be charged over the allegations on February 8, 2022. However, the investigation that is still being conducted by the league hasn't concluded; thus, the extensions were made on administrative leave.
Despite the allegations and external investigations having concluded, Commissioner Rob Manfred still has the power to suspend Bauer under the "Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy" of the MLB. If this happens, Bauer will start losing the salary little by little that he has kept pristine due to the paid administrative leave.
Bauer signed a three-year, $102 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers at the start of 2021. If he gets suspended by the league, the team won't have the obligation to pay him. He could even be booted out and have trouble finding another team.
If this were to happen, Bauer, who has made it perfectly clear that he believes he has done nothing wrong to be handed down a penalty by the league, might issue a challenge to the eventual decision if it doesn’t fall in his favor. This will certainly be a league first and could set a precedent for future cases going forward.
Trevor Bauer could be a part of a growing list
A decision from the league is yet to be made and announced, but Trevor Bauer could possibly become part of the list of players who were suspended for violating the league's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy that was ratified in 2015.
The first person who was handed down a penalty for violating this is the now New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman for an incident involving his girlfriend. He was suspended for 30 games. The longest sentence was a suspension for the entire season that was given to former Minnesota Twin Sam Dyson. This was due to a domestic violence allegation by an ex-girlfriend.
Free-agent pitcher Sam Dyson has accepted a suspension for the entire 2021 season for violating MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. https://t.co/MXwNwXSCR5
"Free-agent pitcher Sam Dyson has accepted a suspension for the entire 2021 season for violating MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy." - @ Mark Feinsand
At the moment, 13 players have been handed down suspensions by the league under this new policy. It is unclear, at least for now, if Trevor Bauer will be a part of this list.