Why was Trevor Bauer not signed by any MLB team? Unraveling former Cy Young winner's decision to sign with Yokohama DeNa Baystars

The Trevor Bauer saga has taken yet another surprising turn as the former Cy Young award winner has reportedly signed a one-year contract with the Yokohama DeNA Baystars of the Japanese Central League.

While the signing will not be made official until he passes a physical, the deal is reportedly valued at one year for $4 million plus incentives.

"Trevor Bauer and the Yokohama DeNA Baystars of the Japanese Central League are in agreement on a 1 year contract pending a physical per @YamadaSANSPO" - Barstool Baseball

Bauer's decision to move to Japan comes after he received no takers in MLB. He was slapped with a 324-game suspension following sexual assault allegations against him. However, following an appeal by Bauer and his legal team, MLB reduced his suspension to 194 games.

Since he had already served 194 games, Bauer was reinstated by the league last month. This left the Los Angeles Dodgers with the decision to either release, trade, or hold on to the controversial pitcher.

The Dodgers elected to release Bauer. While the 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, he will receive his remaining salary of $22.5 million from the Dodgers in 2023.

The 32-year-old will now make the jump overseas, having signed a one-year deal with the Yokohama DeNA Baystars. While the move came as a complete surprise to many in the MLB, the fact that he had not been signed by a Major League team likely forced him to look outside of the USA.

"DeNA is officially the most hated team in Japan for westerners (they just signed Trevor Bauer)" - @firearmofmutiny

There is a real chance that Bauer may never pitch in the MLB again. Nevertheless, the move to Japan will allow him to continue his professional baseball career.

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.

"This was not international baseball news I was expecting today: Trevor Bauer has signed with the Yokohama BayStars." - Shawn Spradling

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 was fully reinstated and was eligible to return to MLB action. Given that his options may have dried up in America, the former Los Angeles Dodgers has decided to test himself in Japan.