Banned But Not Forgotten: Will Trevor Bauer Ever Return To Major League Baseball?

Trevor Bauer’s potential return to MLB remains uncertain, but if signed, he could offer sneaky fantasy baseball value for managers willing to gamble on upside over reputation.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer reacts against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Heading into Wednesday, the major league average in ERA is 4.10, with 11 teams ranking below that breakpoint. Of those teams, the Guardians (4.05 ERA) and Dodgers (4.10 ERA) would make the postseason if the year ended today. Toronto (4.08 ERA) is a game and a half away from a wild-card berth. The Diamondbacks (4.75 ERA) and Nationals (5.07 ERA) remain within striking distance in the postseason if they can improve their starting rotation.

Arizona Diamondbacks Starting Pitcher Concerns

Of all these teams, Arizona is the team in the best position to look for another frontline starter. They lead the majors in runs scored (304), but their top two aces have failed this year for various reasons.

• Corbin Burnes signed a $218 million contract for six seasons, but he could be lost for the year with a right elbow injury.
• Zac Gallen has been a massive liability over his 13 starts (5.13 ERA and 1.33 WHIP) due to regression in his command (4.0 per nine innings). Before his last start, he allowed 19 runs, 38 baserunners, and four home runs over 21.1 innings with 17 strikeouts, with two outcomes coming against the light-hitting Pirates and Marlins.

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In the fantasy market, finding pitching help is challenging, especially with a high number of teams looking for upgrades. The biggest difference between real baseball and fantasy leagues is the views on players’ values within a single-year environment. For example, here’s a list of the top 10 starting pitchers drafted in 2025 with their salaries.

Top 10 2025 Fantasy Baseball Pitchers Per ADP:

• Paul Skenes, PIT ($875,000)
• Tarik Skubal, DET ($10,155,000)
• Garrett Crochet, BOS ($3,800,000)
• Zack Wheeler, PHI ($42,000,000)
• Logan Gilbert, SEA ($7,625,000)
• Chris Sale, ATL ($22,000,000)
• Corbin Burnes, ARI ($30,833,333)
• Blake Snell, LAD ($28,436,867)
• Cole Ragans, KC ($1,083,333)
• Dylan Cease, SD ($13,750,000)

There are many times in fantasy baseball when $20+ million pitchers go undrafted due to their perceived risk to a team in ERA, WHIP, or even due to injury risk. In the heat of the battle within the season, a game manager must add the best possible players from the free agent pool to help their teams, but previous results aren’t a lock for future success.

Based on the recent injury to Corbin Burnes, is Trevor Bauer a viable option to replace him in the starting rotation?

Former MLB player Trevor Bauer has been awarded nearly $310,000 in a default judgement against the woman that falsely accused him of sexual assault that killed his career and easily cost him $100 million when he was thrown out of the league pic.twitter.com/XCkt8gK6tp

— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) June 3, 2025

Will Trevor Bauer Ever Return To Major League Baseball?

The last pitch thrown by Bauer in the majors came on June 28th in 2021, for the Los Angeles Dodgers. They paid him $54,405,765 of his $102 million contract. Over the past three seasons, he pitched in Japan and Mexico.

• 2023 Yokohama (11-4 with a 2.59 ERA, 1.130 WHIP, and 160 strikeouts over 156.2 innings)
• 2024 Mexico (10-0 with a 2.48 ERA, 1.044 WHIP, and 120 strikeouts over 83.1 innings)
• 2025 Yokohama (3-3 with a 3.20 ERA, 1.092 WHIP, and 73 strikeouts over 76.0 innings).

Trevor Bauer’s line tonight

8.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 12 K, 118 P, 19 Whiffs

Most strikeouts in an NPB start for him since June 14, 2023 pic.twitter.com/ClETY1nztY

— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) May 27, 2025

The question an MLB ball club must answer is: What would these stats look like if pitching in the majors? At the same time, what is the replacement value of the pitchers in my farm system? More importantly, is my franchise ready to win?

I’ve thought about the Bauer situation more than I should have because I’m a fantasy baseball player, and I wanted to know if he had any chance of pitching for the Dodgers in 2022 after getting suspended the previous year. 

I don’t want to be the judge or jury about his off-the-field incident, but I can wonder what the punishment would be for a person in the real world. Would they lose their job? Would they be banished from society? If so, what is the reason for this outcome? Guilty verdict for what crime?

The elephant in the room is the tie to sex. If someone has a drinking problem, they can get help. Someone with a drug addiction can seek treatment to hopefully work their way to a stable environment and live a better life. 

I don’t know what drives someone to push the limits to acquire sex in different ways, but it is a problem that most don’t understand or want to even think about. 

Bauer settled his court case in 2023 without making a payment to his accuser or having any charges against him. His recent lawsuit ($309,000) pertains to damages for lying about getting paid by Bauer. 

After his 324-game suspension, Bauer could be signed by any major league team, but no one has been willing to take the media hit despite never being convicted of a crime.

The Arizona Diamondbacks could sign Bauer for the league minimum, or about 2.5% of Corbin Burnes’ contract. He may not be the pitcher he once was, but Bauer could help Arizona win, which is the ultimate goal. 

The Diamondbacks have about $180 million tied up in player salaries this year. What is a trip to the postseason worth to an MLB team? I guarantee it’s worth more than $775,000 or about $4,784 per start by Bauer for the remainder of the season. 

If Trevor Bauer finds his way into the free agent pool in fantasy leagues, he will be added to teams if those game managers believe Bauer is an upgrade, because we play to win. 

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