There is a lot of interest in the future of Yokohama DeNA Baystars Trevor Bauer (32) next season.
Japanese media J-Cast said on the 24th, “Bauer’s destination is attracting attention. Before coming to Japan, there were many skeptics about his performance, but the Cy Young Award-winning right-handed pitcher’s skills were real. The power of heavy fastballs and breaking balls in the mid-150 km/h range is good. He looked back on Bauer’s season, saying, “His stamina is sufficient and he has the will to compete, such as pitching after four days of rest despite the heat wave.”
Bauer, who recorded a total of 222 major league games (1,297 ⅔ innings), 83 wins, 69 losses, and an ERA of 3.79, played an active role as a special ace, winning the 2020 National League Cy Young Award. In the 2021 season, he signed a three-year contract with the Dodgers worth $102 million (approximately 137.4 billion won), but in June 2021, when allegations of sexual assault arose, he was suspended for 324 games (later reduced to a 194-game suspension) and was unable to play. He was released from the Dodgers in January of this year and was effectively kicked out of the major league.
Bauer, who could not find a team last year, entered the Japanese professional baseball league by signing a one-year contract with Yokohama for $3 million (about 4 billion won) this year. Although he struggled a bit at the beginning of the season and suffered the humiliation of being downgraded to the second team, he bounced back and successfully completed his debut season in Japan, recording 10 wins, 4 losses, and an ERA of 2.76 in 19 games (130⅔ innings). However, it was disappointing that he was unable to participate in the post-season game due to an injury at the end of the season.
Bauer, whose contract with Yokohama has ended, is already receiving love calls from several Japanese clubs. Japanese media also reported that Bauer would transfer to the Pacific League, which has a designated hitter system. Softbank, a member of the Pacific League and the most financially solid in Japan, emerged as the most likely destination.스포츠토토
J-Cast said, “Bauer reconciled with the woman who raised allegations of sexual assault in early October. The possibility of returning to the major leagues has also increased. However, I like living in Japan, so I may play there next year as well. An official from another team said, ‘If you play in Japan, Softbank is the only option. “I resigned myself to saying, ‘I can’t win in the money game,’” he said, predicting Bauer’s move to Softbank.
However, after Yokohama lost to Hiroshima in the first stage of the Climax Series, Bauer said on his YouTube channel on the 22nd, “There are a lot of articles saying that I want to sign with a club that has a designated hitter system. “I don’t remember saying that,” he said, denying the SoftBank transfer rumors. He went on to add, “I don’t know yet what will happen next.”
