[Sports] The Los Angeles Dodgers planned to cut ties with Trevor Bauer .

[Douma]

The Los Angeles Dodgers planned to cut ties with Trevor Bauer all along.

They never wanted to see him in a Dodger uniform again.

Still, they thought they owed him the courtesy of speaking to him directly.

Dodger executives flew to Phoenix on Thursday to meet privately with Bauer to decide if he deserved another chance, multiple high-ranking officials told USA TODAY Sports

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the private nature of the conversation.

The Dodgers owe Bauer $22.5 million this season anyway, so they decided it was worth finding out whether he deserved any consideration of remaining in the organization.

It was actually the first time the Dodgers had spoken to Bauer in the 18 months since he was placed on paid administrative leave on July 2, 2021.

Dodger officials declined to go into details of their conversation, but privately revealed that they didn’t hear any remorse, apologies or anything in the slightest from Bauer to change their mind.

They reconvened in Los Angeles, and decided Friday morning that Bauer would never again put on a Dodger uniform.

The Dodgers crafted a statement and publicly revealed their decision Friday afternoon by designating Bauer for assignment. He will be placed on unconditional release waivers Thursday at 2 p.m. ET, and become an official free agent next Friday, Jan. 13.The Dodgers’ decision appeared to have caught Bauer by surprise. He said he was led to believe after his meeting with Dodger officials that he would be welcomed back into the organization.

 

This is a franchise that broke the color barrier with the signing of Jackie Robinson in 1947. It celebrated the life of Glenn Burke, the first openly gay player, last summer during their annual LGBTQ+ Pride Night last summer. Former tennis star Billie Jean King, an advocate of gender equality, is a minority owner of the team.

So the Dodgers weren’t about to destroy their legacy and image over a person who was accused by three different women one in California and two in Ohio  of assault during sexual encounters that allegedly turned violent.

Once Bauer was placed on administrative leave in July 2021 by Major League Baseball after a San Diego woman filed a restraining order against him that was eventually denied, the Dodgers knew then he would never pitch for them again. They simply had to wait for the District Attorney of Los Angeles County and MLB’s investigations to conclude.

They didn’t have the right to release Bauer until his grievance was heard, with the decision announced on Dec. 22 with the reduced suspension. They waited until after the holidays and for their ownership to convene before seriously discussing the proper approach to reach out to Bauer before finalizing their decision.

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2023/01/06/dodgers-decision-part-ways-trevor-bauer/11004427002/

Edited January 7, 2023 by ProToCrisP