How much will Los Angeles Dodgers have to pay Trevor Bauer after releasing him?

While this offseason has seen superstars being handed historic contracts, one of the major storylines outside of free agency has been the Trevor Bauer saga. Following an appeal by Bauer and his legal team, the MLB announced that they had reduced his 324-game suspension to 194 games. Since he has already served 194 games, Bauer has been reinstated immediately by the league.

Upon the revelation of the news, rumors instantly began to swirl about whether or not the Los Angeles Dodgers would release, trade, or hold on to the controversial pitcher. The Dodgers elected to release Bauer.

"Proud to be a Dodgers fan today. He has no place in that or any other franchise. Be gone. Dodgers cut ties with Trevor Bauer, star pitcher accused of abuse" - Tim Wise

While the Los Angeles Dodgers attempted to find a trade partner to ship Bauer out of town, they could not find any takers. Now, following his release from the franchise, the Dodgers will need to pay Bauer his remaining salary of $22.5 million in 2023.

However, if Bauer signs with another team for the league for $720,000, the league minimum, the Los Angeles Dodgers will save that sum. While $720,000 is nothing compared to the $22.5 million they already have to pay, any relief would be beneficial to the franchise.

"#Yankees #Mets will not go for Trevor Bauer, per @JonHeyman" - MLB Rumors & News

The former pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Arizona Diamondbacks may find it difficult to secure a new contract elsewhere.

A timeline of Trevor Bauer's sexual assault case

On April 29, 2022, the controversial pitcher was handed a 324-game suspension by the MLB after he was accused of sexually assaulting, choking and hitting a woman during two sexual encounters. The suspension, which could have covered two full MLB seasons, was the longest punishment under the sport's domestic violence policy since it was instituted in August 2015.

On June 30, 2021, Bauer was under investigation for the alleged assault of a San Diego woman that May. The woman alleged that the two had met on April 21 and that she had been physically and sexually assaulted by him on two separate occasions.

Originally, the suspension would not have allowed Bauer to play until the 19th game of the 2024 season, however, following the appeal process, Trevor Bauer has been fully reinstated and is eligible to return to action.

"I do not want Trevor Bauer on the White Sox. MLB conducted an extensive investigation into his actions and handed him the longest suspension in MLB history. Don’t be the guy talking about how the criminal charges didn’t stick so he did nothing wrong" - @JoeCrede