Fans lay into Trevor Bauer after tainted former Cy Young arm takes to Japan: "Elon Musk of baseball"

Only a few short years ago, Trevor Bauer was one of the top pitchers in the entire MLB. Now hanging his head in disgrace, Bauer has decided to embark on a career overseas.

Bauer, 32, led the league in ERA during the 2020 season to win his first career Cy Young Award with the Cincinnati Reds. After entering free agency after his career-best season, there were plenty of suitors at the ready.

Eventually, the Los Angeles Dodgers prevailed, signing Bauer to a three-year deal worth $102 million. It was thought that the right-hander would duplicate his success wearing Dodgers blue.

However, following a groundbreaking sexual assault allegation, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred suspended Bauer for 194 games. Weeks later, the Los Angeles Dodgers released him, and Trevor Bauer had no choice but to look for other options. On March 13, 2023, Bauer signed a one-year deal worth $4 million with the Yokohama BayStars of Japan's NPB.

Trevor Bauer was on thin ice with MLB fans for his indiscretions, but upon seeing footage of him pitching for his new NPB team, their tune was even more relentless.

In addition to the sexual assault case, Trevor Bauer was never a stranger to criticism. An outspoken advocate of former US President Donald Trump, the controversy was always at arm's length for Bauer.

Bauer wearing number 96 because it represents "69 backwards" tells fans all they need to know. The former Arizona Diamondbacks first overall pick was also seen re-enacting a "sword" gesture, which may be a rather bizarre ode to the culture of his new home.

Finally, Trevor Bauer solicited a lot of comparisons to billionaire businessman Elon Musk. Musk, who took over Twitter earlier this year, is known for his propensity for risque comments and love of courting controversy of all kinds.

Trevor Bauer's MLB days may be far from over

Bauer pitched just four innings for a no-decision in his first start in Japan. Although the NPB will provide a solid and skilled environment for Bauer to pitch in, it is very likely that he will attempt to make his way back to the MLB one day. It remains to be seen whether or not his trademark antics will be forgotten by fans then.

About the author

Adrian Dorney is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda. Having worked over five years in the industry, Adrian strives to combine statistical analysis with the human side of baseball reporting. Since a lot of his briefs involve publishing content with urgency, he has perfected a process involving a combination of trustworthy sources and assessment with intuition.

His lifelong tryst with baseball began with growing up in Toronto and watching the Blue Jays regularly. His favorite player is Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr., and Jose Bautista's go-ahead home run in 2015 ALDS Game 5 remains his favorite baseball memory to date.

When not working, Adrian is constantly looking to learn new things and he also loves playing golf and chess.

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