Trevor Bauer Rumors: Dodgers Concerned Over Protecting Brand Image When Weighing Releasing Pitcher

Trevor Bauer was reinstated by an arbitrator 11 days ago, making him eligible to pitch in the big leagues effective immediately. That decision put the Dodgers on a two-week clock to decide whether to put him on their roster or dump him, and they have until Friday to make that decision.

Obviously, this isn't purely a baseball decision. They have to pay Bauer either way, so there's no baseball reason not to put him on the roster. Even if they're worried about his 18-month layoff and wondering how effective he'll be, that's the sort of thing you assess in spring training, not in January.

No, this decision is about Bauer and whether the team wants to be associated with a guy who just received (and had upheld in arbitration) the longest suspension in the history of MLB's domestic violence/sexual assault policy. As former MLB player Trevor Plouffe said to Chris Rose on Jomboy's Baseball Today, the Dodgers have a lot more than baseball to consider.

"This is a brand issue for them. And they don't want — in my opinion and from what I've heard, they don't want to be associated with that and answer to that. This is a $5 billion brand that a $22 million salary is not really going to affect it. You want to keep this brand pristine."

What will happen with Trevor Bauer and the Dodgers?

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— Chris Rose Sports (@ChrisRoseSports) January 3, 2023

Plouffe believes Bauer will play for someone in 2023, but he doesn't think the Dodgers will be the team to take the PR hit that will come with employing him.

Whether you think Bauer is guilty or not, he's been found guilty in the eyes of the league. He's served his time, and plenty of people think that's all that matters. But Plouffe is right that L.A. has an image to consider. They backed out of a potential trade for Aroldis Chapman when domestic violence allegations came down, and they reportedly didn't pursue Carlos Correa this offseason because of his history as a cheater. It's hard to see them saying, "Sure, Trev, come on back."