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The last time Trevor Bauer took the mound, he seemed to have reached the apex of his pitching career. By the summer of 2021, the talent that made him a first-round draft pick and the curiosities that unlocked cutting-edge training regiments had finally converged. He was a reigning Cy Young Award winner who stood among his profession’s top earners and best performers, a legitimate ace on one of the sport’s most celebrated pitching staffs. Then everything changed.

And now it’s fair to wonder whether Bauer’s major league career might be finished.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, after deliberating much longer than many anticipated, have ensured Bauer’s career will not continue with their organization. They designated Bauer for assignment on Friday, two weeks after his suspension under Major League Baseball’s domestic-violence policy was trimmed from 324 to 194 games. Bauer is expected to clear waivers and officially become a free agent next Friday. The Dodgers will be on the hook for $22.5 million of Bauer’s 2023 salary but will save $720,000 if another team signs him for the minimum. And now the predominant question is: Will any team do it?

The industry’s perspective, if it can be summarized with one sentence: Unlikely, but not impossible.

ESPN surveyed about two-dozen agents and front-office executives over the past month in an effort to gauge Bauer’s potential free agent market, and the answers didn’t deviate much beyond that. The most common response landed closely with what a rival general manager plainly stated in a text message on the night of Dec. 22, moments after an independent arbitrator ruled that Bauer — having already served 144 games in 2022 — would be docked pay for the first 50 games of the 2023 season but would be reinstated immediately.

“I don’t expect anyone will sign him,” the GM wrote.

Bauer’s punishment was ultimately reduced by 40%, but the arbiter who spent parts of eight months reviewing findings and hearing testimony nonetheless ruled that he deserved what still amounted to the longest suspension under the domestic violence, sexual assault and child-abuse policy that was jointly agreed to by MLB and the MLB Players’ Association in August of 2015.

Bauer, 31, is the 16th player suspended under that policy and the first with more than one publicly known accuser. He has three — the San Diego woman who triggered MLB’s investigation, alleging Bauer essentially took consensual rough sex too far, and two other women who made similar allegations to the Washington Post.

“Nobody’s touching that guy,” an agent told ESPN recently. “Not a chance.”

But the possibility was raised by a handful of the agents and executives whom ESPN spoke with in recent weeks, before and after the reduction was announced. Bauer will still be only 32 next month, with a healthy arm and a distinguished track record. And soon, barring the unlikely scenario of the Dodgers finding a trade partner, Bauer can be had for the major-league-minimum salary — at a time when free-agent contracts are through the roof, and dependable, upper-echelon starting pitchers are more rare than ever.

“I think there will be teams that will at least be interested,” another agent said.

“Some teams will just take the arm,” a front-office executive added, “and they’ll deal with the blowback later.”

The Houston Astros of Jeff Luhnow took a similar approach, acquiring prominent closer Roberto Osuna from the Toronto Blue Jays in July of 2018, less than three months after he was arrested for alleged assault against the mother of his child. The Cleveland Browns traded for star quarterback Deshaun Watson in March of 2022, and subsequently signed him to a record contract, even though more than two dozen women have filed lawsuits against him for sexual misconduct. Talent often transcends morality, and professional sports is littered with examples.

Bauer, though, would bring a unique challenge to a prospective new employer, according to one rival executive. As he described, it isn’t just the stain on an organization’s reputation or the backlash from its fans or the general negativity that would surround it — it’s that Bauer hasn’t shown an ounce of contrition throughout this process. In fact, he has taken the opposite approach, fighting every allegation vehemently.

“If you sign someone with that type of baggage,” one agent noted, “you have to walk him through the reclamation tour. And I don’t think he’s coachable for that.”

In that regard, Bauer’s public response to the arbiter’s ruling was telling — just a short tweet, comprising 18 words and two emojis.

It was an encapsulation of the way Bauer has approached the sexual assault allegations that have been levied against him; a reminder that he does not care to, and does not feel obligated to, account for his missteps or apologize to those who were hurt by his actions. It also hinted at what’s to come — an uncertain major league future for a man who does not believe it should be in question.

Suspensions of Bauer’s length are exceedingly rare in the 56-year history of the MLBPA, which gave players an avenue to fight the lifetime bans that were frequently handed out in earlier decades.

Jenrry Mejia received a permanent ban in 2016 for multiple positive PED tests, though he was reinstated two years later. Dwight Gooden and Steve Howe received year-plus suspensions for drug-and-alcohol-related issues. Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, Marlon Byrd, Francis Martes, Cody Stanley and Pascual Perez all received 162-game suspensions for their ties to PEDs. Sam Dyson also received a 162-game suspension for violating the domestic violence policy in March of 2021. Bauer has since topped it, becoming one of just three active players in the last half century — along with Mejia and Gooden — to be handed suspensions that exceeded a full season.

That’s the history Bauer is dealing with.

That’s the history prospective suitors would have to reckon with.

It seems unlikely that anyone would take on the risk, but in the words of one GM:

“All it takes is one team.”

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Misiorowski perfect into 7th, sets rookie record

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Misiorowski perfect into 7th, sets rookie record

MINNEAPOLIS — Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers lost his bid for a perfect game in the seventh inning of a 17-6 win against the Minnesota Twins on Friday night.

After issuing a walk to Byron Buxton, Matt Wallner lofted a home run to the flower bed just past the right-field wall, ending Misiorowski’s run of hitless innings to start his big league career at 11, the first starter to do that since 1900.

“I think this is exactly how I ever dreamed of it coming along,” the 23-year-old rookie said. “It’s exciting.”

He threw five no-hit innings against St. Louis on June 12, but left in the sixth with cramping in his right calf and quadriceps.

“I felt calmer and ready to go compared to the first one,” Misiorowski said. “Nerves were going pretty heavy on the first one, so it’s good to finally feel the feet under you.”

The 6-foot-7 right-hander struck out six with a fastball topping out at 102.1 mph and a slider and changeup in the mid-90s.

“It’s important to prove to yourself as a young player that you belong in the big leagues and taste success and realize that you do belong here,” said Christian Yelich, who had a career-high eight RBIs. “He should believe he’s a really good major league pitcher because he is. All the nights probably aren’t going to go as smooth as the first two, but you see the ability.

“He’s got a chance to something special every night he goes out there.”

Misiorowski is the only big leaguer since 1900 to have more wins (2) than hits allowed (1) in his first two career starts, according to OptaSTATS.

“He was attacking, but mixing, too,” manager Pat Murphy said. “It wasn’t just heaters.”

After seeing four straight pitches of at least 100.8 mph from Misiorowski, Willi Castro twisted like a corkscrew and dropped to the ground as he struck out on a 95.5 mph slider in the first inning.

“You don’t see a guy throwing a slider 95, 96,” Castro said. “It’s really hard to pick up.”

Misiorowski threw 29 pitches of 100 mph or higher and had 12 of 101 mph or more. Since tracking started in 2008, the only starting pitchers to throw more in a game at 101 mph and above are Hunter Greene (33 on Sept. 17, 2022; 21 on March 30, 2023; 18 on July 26, 2022; and 13 on April 16, 2022) and Jordan Hicks (on July 12, 2022), according to Major League Baseball.

After the homer by Wallner, Misiorowski was pulled for reliever Nick Mears and left to a standing ovation. He threw 86 pitches, 60 for strikes, and departed with Milwaukee leading 8-2.

The Brewers scored five runs in the top of the seventh, a long time for starter to sit in the dugout, but Misiorowski was adamant about going back to the mound.

“He said, ‘Yes I’m getting toward the end, but I want to challenge myself,'” Murphy said. “It was a good time to have him do that.”

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Suarez, managers suspended for Padres-L.A. feud

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Suarez, managers suspended for Padres-L.A. feud

LOS ANGELES — San Diego Padres closer Robert Suarez was suspended for three games and fined an undisclosed amount Friday for intentionally hitting Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers with a pitch during the NL West rivals’ contentious meeting Thursday night.

Suarez will appeal the suspension, keeping him eligible to play for San Diego on Friday night against Kansas City. He did not pitch in the Padres’ 6-5 loss.

Padres manager Mike Shildt and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also received one-game suspensions and undisclosed fines for their roles in the brouhaha that occurred in both halves of the ninth inning during the Padres’ 5-3 victory at Dodger Stadium.

“I support it,” Roberts said about the league’s disciplinary decision. “I think that obviously I never want to make the game about the managers. It shouldn’t be. It should be about the players and winning, so last night, both managers are protecting their teams, and it just unfortunately got to the point that we became the focus, and that’s not the way it should be.”

Both managers were ejected in the top of the ninth after they ran onto the field and bumped into each other during a vociferous argument that almost got even more physical before their players and assistant coaches intervened.

Shildt believed Dodgers reliever Jack Little intentionally hit Fernando Tatís Jr. in the right hand with a pitch, igniting the latest bench-clearing incident between local rivals with several years of bad-tempered history.

“Circumstances were really challenging this past series, and at the end of the day I don’t regret standing up for a guy that I love in Tati, and a team that I love and a city that I love,” Shildt said. “In that regard, I have no regrets how it got to that point. Again, we can all have our comments and thoughts and theories. But as far as my actions, it’s not something you want to do every night or needs to be done, hopefully ever again. But appropriate actions for the circumstances were taken, and I don’t regret it at all.”

Shildt and Roberts served their suspensions Friday. Bench coach Danny Lehmann managed the Dodgers in their 6-5 win over the Washington Nationals, and Padres bench coach Brian Esposito was in San Diego’s dugout vs. the Royals.

In the bottom of the ninth, Ohtani was hit on the back of his right shoulder by Suarez’s pitch, putting the tying run on base during the Dodgers’ three-run rally. Ohtani’s teammates appeared to be preparing to storm the field for the second time before Ohtani waved them back. The three-time MVP then walked to the Padres’ dugout for some light banter, defusing the tension.

Suarez on Friday insisted he hadn’t retaliated for Tatís.

“I was never trying to get anyone into trouble or hit anybody,” Suarez said through an interpreter. “Unfortunately it happened. I got ejected and I couldn’t finish out the game, but we won as a team, and we were able to salvage that game. … [The Dodgers are] entitled to their opinion. They can say whatever they want. That was not the case. I was out there to try to save the game.”

Ohtani threw a bullpen session as scheduled Friday despite getting hit by Suarez on his pitching shoulder. Ohtani’s second mound start for the Dodgers is still expected to happen Sunday, Roberts said.

Tatís was in the Padres’ lineup as usual Friday. Manny Machado said afterward that the Dodgers should “pray” Tatís had escaped serious injury, encouraging them to “put out a candle.”

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Devers, facing Boston, clarifies first base mindset

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Devers, facing Boston, clarifies first base mindset

SAN FRANCISCO — As he prepared to face his former team just five days after being traded, San Francisco Giants slugger Rafael Devers wants to leave things in the past as it pertains to the Boston Red Sox.

But he did provide some insight into his feelings when he was asked Friday why he would consider playing first base for the Giants when he refused to do so for the Red Sox.

“I put up some good numbers in Boston and I feel like I earned some respect,” Devers said through an interpreter. “If they would have asked me at the beginning of spring training, yes, I would have played [first].”

Of course, back then the Red Sox didn’t have an opening at first base as Triston Casas didn’t get hurt until about a month into the season. But the overall damage had been done.

The lack of communication between the sides seemingly led to the stunning trade, and now just three games into his career with San Francisco, Devers has to face his old teammates in a weekend series at Oracle Park.

“Whatever happened, happened,” Devers said. “But they’re still my friends.”

Devers actually got to see his friends after they arrived in town Thursday, but as of early Friday afternoon, he had not seen or talked to manager Alex Cora. He’s confident he will.

Devers was pressed about his former manager.

“I don’t want to talk about the past,” Devers said. “I don’t have anything good or bad to say about Alex. I just want to leave everything in the past.”

Cora addressed the subject during his pregame media availability, saying, “There’s a lot of stuff that Rafy did for us that we’re going to miss. We’re very proud of him.”

Asked if the two need to clear the air about anything, Cora replied, “Clear the air about what? It’s a trade. It’s baseball. It’s a business. That’s how it works.

“It’s not the first guy that’s gotten traded. It’s not the last guy. People have their opinions about the whole thing. Communication, first base, DH, third base, the manager, the GM, the owner, whatever. It’s a baseball trade. From my end, I turn the page.”

Cora was then asked if he’s “surprised” Devers is working at first base, to which the manager offered a succinct, “No.”

Devers acknowledged it’s been a “long week” but he’s feeling more relaxed and even happy now. Entering Friday, he was 3-for-11 with two walks and four strikeouts for his new team, which desperately needs his presence in its lineup.

Devers, batting third and serving as the Giants’ designated hitter, got a standing ovation before grounding out in his first at-bat in the first inning Friday and hit a drive to the wall in left-center that Ceddanne Rafaela caught against the wall.

He would finish the game 0-for-5 as San Francisco lost 7-5 and dropped to 1-3 since the trade. It was the second time this season Devers went 0-for-5 or worse (0-for-6 at at Detroit on May 13), and the first time he did so in a home game since Sept. 26, 2023 (Rays at Red Sox).

Eventually, he’ll see time at first base — but only when he’s ready.

“It’s not a position I’m going to learn how to play overnight,” Devers said.

“It’s not the first guy that’s gotten traded. It’s not the last guy. People have their opinions about the whole thing. Communication, first base, DH, third base, the manager, the GM, the owner, whatever. It’s a baseball trade. From my end, I turn the page.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora

He was asked several times when he might get a start there.

“Whenever I feel like I’m comfortable,” he answered.

The conversation eventually came back around to his relationship with the Red Sox, but Devers insisted on putting it behind him.

“I really don’t want to talk about it,” he said. “I want to concentrate what’s in the future for me.”

ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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