Trevor Bauer’s suspension reduced from 324 games to 194 games; Dodgers need to release him

MLB announced on Thursday afternoon that Trevor Bauer‘s 324-game suspension was reduced to 194 games by independent arbiter Martin F. Scheinman.

In addition to the pay covering 144 games last season, Bauer will be suspended an extra 50 games. The Dodgers will be on the hook for approximately $22.5 million of his $32 million salary for 2023 — mercifully, the last year of a logic-defying 3-year deal signed after the Dodgers won the 2020 World Series. They’re now right up against the $233 million luxury tax.

The decision comes on the heels of the Washington Post dropping a story about the matter earlier today.

An exclusive look inside the battle over Trevor Bauer’s career, including concerns over witness intimidation and the contents of a recorded police call in which Bauer appeared to acknowledge hitting one of his accusers https://t.co/qNDVQS9YjM

— Gus Garcia-Roberts (@ggarciaroberts) December 22, 2022

Worth reading.

The Dodgers now have until that day of all days to make a decision.

The Dodgers have until Jan. 6 to decide whether to return Bauer to their roster or release him.

— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) December 23, 2022

Regardless, the Dodgers shouldn’t wait until Jan. 6 to make a decision. They should release him right fucking now (because they couldn’t when all this went down last year).

I know they have two weeks but there's no upside to taking time to think on this. Own your mistake, cut him now. Not tomorrow. It's the only right decision.

— Daniel Brim (@DanielBrim) December 23, 2022

The Dodgers shit the bed on this one, and now they’re paying for it this off-season. The fans are also paying for it because all indications have been that the Dodgers are aiming to reset the luxury tax, and that plan was partially tied to the decision of the arbiter. That reset looks in doubt now.

Happy Holidays, I guess.