Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
It took entirely too long, but the Trevor Bauer-Dodgers era is over.
And a statement from the team, because the time is practical now, apparently.
A carefully worded, carefully crafted statement for something they should have never done in the first place, but this is better than the alternative of him being on the roster for the 2023 season. They’ll now have seven days to trade him, release him or for him to accept his minor-league assignment — the last of which isn’t happening. He also probably isn’t going to be traded, so look for his release in a week.
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Despite the seemingly good news on the surface, the scars are already there. Despite the countless number of fans who voiced their opinions before the signing and during this entire saga — especially the last two weeks — the Dodgers thought it best to drag this out as long as possible. Fans, especially those who have directly or even indirectly been impacted by sexual assault and domestic violence, probably aren’t going to forget this anytime soon. They were forced to deal with it front-and-center when the Dodgers signed Bauer in February 2021 and have had to do so since.
This two-plus years of Dodger baseball will go down as one of the worst in franchise history. Not because of their performance on the field (underwhelming, at least when it comes to winning the World Series again), but because of the decision to employ such a person — even before any of the allegations from the last 18-plus months. Everyone knew the kind of person he was, and while that didn’t mean he was going to be accused of these kinds of acts in the future, the Dodgers should have never put themselves in this position.
Now, the worst signing in franchise history is gone. The healing process for some can begin, while it’s going to take longer for others. But this entire ordeal will have a long-lasting impact on the fandom of some, including my own. I know the Dodgers probably really don’t care one way or the other, and some who read this (not just the blatant trolls) won’t either, but this is a scar Andrew Friedman inflicted on the organization and he (and whoever else made the decision) will have to live with it. It remains to be seen if he and others will avoid pursuing players with checkered pasts as Bauer in the future, but the precedent has already been set, so who knows. The bottom line is: the front office has to be better in the future when it comes to this.
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I know some aren’t going to like these words, and that’s fine. If you want to be on the side of someone accused of being as heinous as Bauer, that’s your prerogative. I’m just glad he’s gone and maybe, just maybe, we can all watch Dodger baseball without this dark cloud hanging over the organization.
