Yankees Will Face Ex-Cy Young Award Winner in Mexico City

The New York Yankees will face former Cy Young Award Winner Trevor Bauer on March 24 when they face The Diablos Rojos in Mexico City, according to Bauer on X.  The Diablos Rojos are part of the Mexican League.

“I’ve also agreed to pitch 5 games for the Diablos between April 11 and May 8 in lieu of a traditional spring training period as it’s the best way for me to stay ready to pitch,” wrote Bauer. “This will help me stay in game shape and I’ll be able to join a rotation immediately if or when an MLB offer comes. Hope to see you on Sunday and can’t wait to show y’all what Mexican baseball is all about!”

Bauer won the National League Cy Young award in 2020 with the Cincinnati Reds. He led the National League with a 1.73 ERA during the shortened season.

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Bauer’s Absence from the Majors

Bauer has not pitched in a regular-season MLB game since June 28, 2021. The right-hander was suspended for 324 games “on grounds of sexual misconduct,” according to ESPN. He then had the suspension reduced to 194 games by an independent arbitrator. He was suspended as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the team released him in 2023.

Bauer is free to sign with any team but no team has taken on the former All-Star. The Yankees are a team that was involved in trying to acquire a starting pitcher after reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole got injured. They were involved in trade talks for the Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease. They were also in the free agent market for the 2023 NL Cy Young Award winner, Blake Snell.

While the Yankees could use a starting pitcher, one source close to Yankees owner, Hal Steinbrenner, said the Yankees “don’t need the headache” of singing Bauer, according to NJ.com’s Bob Klapisch.

Bauer pitched against the Dodgers on March 10 as a member of the Asian Breeze, “a tryout program that charges players about $2,500 for a 20-day barnstorming tour through the U.S,” according to USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale.

Trevor Bauer is Ready to Pitch

Bauer spent the 2023 season pitching for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan. He had an 11-4 record with a 2.59 ERA. Bauer hit 99 mph and struck out four of the 12 batters he faced during his outing with the Breeze, according to Nightengale.

“I mean for those who saw me pitch,” Bauer said, according to Nightengale. “I think it was pretty obvious I was still elite. Telling hitters what pitch was coming, and getting outs. I think anyone who was here could see that the stuff was elite.”

Bauer’s outing with the Breeze was against Dodgers minor league players. He may get the chance to pitch against some of the Yankees’ stars in Mexico City.

“Five starting position players are scheduled to be on the trip — right fielder Juan Soto, left fielder Alex Verdugo, designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton, third baseman DJ LeMahieu and catcher Jose Trevino,” according to NJ.com’s Randy Miller.

Bauer announced that he would make five additional appearances for the Diablos Rojos. Bauer is looking to sign with an MLB team and is willing to do so for the league minimum.

“I’m just asking for the league minimum, so it’s not a money thing. I’ve served my suspension twice over,” Bauer said according to Nightengale.

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