Baseball

The Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly unlikely to keep Trevor Bauer after an arbitrator upheld 194 games of his 324-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy and reinstated him.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Dodgers are "expected" to release the right-handed pitcher because people in their clubhouse "would prefer he'd be elsewhere."

The Dodgers have until Jan. 6 to make a decision on Bauer's future with the organization.

As part of the arbitrator's decision, Bauer was fined his salary for the first 50 games of the 2023 season.

MLB issued a 324-game suspension to Bauer in April 2022 that included the entire 2022 season and all of 2023. He had been on administrative leave since July 2, 2021, after a woman filed for a domestic violence restraining order against him for alleged assaults during sexual encounters.

The Pasadena Police Department confirmed the woman's allegations were being investigated.

Per Brittany Ghiroli and Katie Strang of The Athletic, the woman's request for a temporary restraining order said Bauer "assaulted her on two different occasions" during consensual sexual encounters.

During an August 2021 court appearance, the woman who made the allegations testified about her encounters with Bauer.

"I was scared of him," she said at another point in her testimony. "I was in so much pain."

Bauer has denied the allegations and filed a defamation lawsuit against the woman in April, saying she lied about details involving their sexual encounters and was trying to ruin his MLB career.

The woman filed a countersuit against Bauer's defamation claim in August.

Per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times, a judge dismissed Bauer's defamation lawsuit against one of the woman's former attorneys and ruled her sexual assault case can continue.

The Dodgers signed Bauer to a three-year, $102 million contract in 2021. The deal included player opt-outs after each of the first two seasons.

Bauer's last appearance in an MLB game was June 28, 2021. He made 17 starts for the Dodgers before being placed on administrative leave.

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge was voted the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year on Friday after he set the American League home run record during the 2022 season.

Judge beat out Los Angeles Angels two-way standout Shohei Ohtani and Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry for the honor. Ohtani won the award in 2021 and Curry won it in 2015.

"Wow. That's incredible," Judge said of his selection. "All these other great athletes that not only impacted the game and their sport, but also impacted their communities and the culture in the sports world and outside the sports world. So getting a chance to be amongst that list is an incredible honor."

The 30-year-old joins a group of winners that includes former Yankees Joe DiMaggio (1941), Mickey Mantle (1956) and Roger Maris (1961). Other MLB players to win the honor this millennium include Jose Altuve (2017), Madison Bumgarner (2014) and Barry Bonds (2001).

Judge had a phenomenal 2022 campaign, slashing .311/.425/.686 with 62 home runs and 131 RBI in 157 games. He earned his fourth All-Star selection, third Silver Slugger award and first AL MVP award.

Judge also led MLB in runs (133), on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.686), OPS (1.111), extra-base hits (90) and total bases (391). He tied for No. 1 in the majors with 131 RBI.

The California native became a free agent this winter, and there were questions about whether he would re-sign with the Yankees. After offers from several teams, including his hometown San Francisco Giants, Judge agreed to a nine-year, $360 million deal with the Pinstripes.

The Yankees went on to name him the 16th captain in franchise history and the first since Derek Jeter, who served as the club's captain from 1995 to 2014.

Judge has spent his entire seven-year career with the Yankees. While he has plenty of individual honors, his goal entering the 2023 campaign remains to win a World Series. With the Yankees' offseason additions, they'll be one of the teams to beat this season.

Former Boston Red Sox right hander Tyler Danish is joining the club's biggest rival—the New York Yankees.

Danish and the Yankees agreed to a minor league deal on Thursday, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman. He's getting an invite to the team's spring training camp, Heyman added.

A once-promising prospect, Danish was selected by the Chicago White Sox in the second round of the 2013 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2016 and spent three seasons with the the White Sox as a reliever.

In his 11 appearances for the White Sox between 2016-2018, Danish posted a 4.85 ERA, 2.31 WHIP and 11 strikeouts in 13 innings. He spent much of his time with the organization in the minor leagues.

Following the 2018 season, Danish signed a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners. He was released in May 2019 after making just six appearances and posting a horrific 21.26 ERA with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers.

Following his release from the Mariners organization, Danish spent time with multiple teams across various independent leagues between 2019 and 2021 before finding his way back into MLB's minor league system with the Los Angeles Angels in May 2021.

Danish received another opportunity in the big leagues in 2022, signing a minor league deal with the Red Sox that included an invitation to spring training. He cracked the 40-man roster before Opening Day and went on to make 32 appearances for Boston last season, posting a 5.13 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 32 strikeouts in 40.1 innings.

Now with the Yankees, Danish will get the opportunity to make the club's 2023 roster as a reliever out of spring training. He'd join a bullpen that includes Clay Holmes, Jonathan Loáisiga, Tommy Kahnle and Michael King, though it's unclear how much he'd be used.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are trading outfielder Daulton Varsho to the Toronto Blue Jays for top prospect Gabriel Moreno and more, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Arizona will also receive outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the deal, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

Varsho, 26, spent the first three seasons of his MLB career in Arizona.

During the 2022 campaign, Varsho spent much of his time playing in center and right field. However, he's pretty versatile and can also play catcher. In 151 games, he slashed .235/.302/.443 with 27 home runs, 74 RBI and 16 stolen bases.

The Blue Jays were in need of some outfield help this offseason, especially after trading Teoscar Hernández to the Seattle Mariners.

Gurriel was Toronto's starting left fielder, but now that he's off to Arizona, Varsho will likely take over that position with Kevin Kiermaier in center field and George Springer in right field.

Varsho is under contract through 2026, and he figures to be a key piece for the Blue Jays moving forward.

Gurriel had spent the first five years of his career in Toronto. In 2022, he hit .291/.343/.400 with five home runs and 52 RBI in 121 games. While he's been a solid player for much of his career, he's not the reason the Diamondbacks decided to give up Varsho.

Arizona parted with Varsho to receive one of the best prospects in baseball in Moreno, who was listed as Toronto's top prospect by Baseball America.

The catcher spent much of his time with Triple-A Buffalo in 2022, hitting .315/.386/.420 with three home runs and 39 RBI in 62 games. The Venezuelan also appeared in 25 games for the Blue Jays in 2022, slashing .319/.356/.377 with one home run and seven RBI.

At just 22 years old, Moreno could emerge as one of the best catchers in baseball by the time he hits his prime.

The San Diego Padres are showing interest in veteran starting pitcher Johnny Cueto, according to FanSided's Robert Murray and the New York Post's Jon Heyman.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported the Miami Marlins have weighed a move for Cueto as well and posited the 36-year-old could be a replacement for Pablo López if the 26-year-old gets traded.

Cueto posted his highest WAR (2.4) since 2016 last season, per FanGraphs. He went 8-10 with a 3.35 ERA and a 3.79 FIP in 25 appearances. Although his 5.80 strikeouts per nine innings were a career low, he had his second-lowest walk rate (1.88).

The two-time All-Star could be a good stopgap on a playoff contender or perhaps serve as a trade asset to flip ahead of the 2023 deadline.

The Padres fit firmly in the former category after reaching the National League Championship Series in 2022. They fortified their ranks by signing Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280 million contract.

The rotation remains a bit of a question mark, though, considering San Diego is projected to lean on two pitchers, Nick Martinez and the newly signed Seth Lugo, who operated primarily as relievers this past year. Only 38 of Lugo's 275 career appearances have come in a starting capacity.

Whether it's Cueto or another solution, signing a veteran starter makes sense for the Padres.

As Morosi speculated, Miami's interest might hinge on another player going out. The Marlins return their entire starting rotation, a group headlined by National League Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara.

The franchise doesn't have a pressing need for pitching help at the moment, but the situation could change between now and Opening Day.

After losing Carlos Correa earlier this week, the San Francisco Giants are hoping Michael Conforto can provide a spark for their lineup.

Per USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Conforto has agreed to a two-year, $36 million deal with the Giants.

ESPN's Buster Olney added the deal includes an opt-out after the 2023 season.

Conforto profiled as a solid bounce-back candidate in 2022 before he underwent offseason shoulder surgery. His agent, Scott Boras, indicated in May he might sign with a team following July's MLB draft, which would remove any draft-pick compensation from his deal.

Nobody chose to take Boras up on the opportunity.

Even before the shoulder injury, Conforto saw his value take a big hit. The 29-year-old picked a bad time to have one of the worst years of his career.

Unlike new teammate Francisco Lindor, who signed a 10-year, $341 million deal, Conforto headed into Opening Day in 2021 without a new contract. New York Mets team president Sandy Alderson signaled the franchise's desire to keep the 2017 All-Star that March.

"We've had Conforto for many years," Alderson said, per the New York Post's Ken Davidoff. "He has not only become an excellent player, but also part of the leadership group within the clubhouse. He's represented the Mets for a long period of time and represented us well. I think if it's possible, we will make the effort to keep Michael with us."

He added the Mets weren't as aggressive as the Toronto Blue Jays in landing George Springer, who signed with Toronto for six years and $150 million, because a new deal for Conforto was part of the calculus.

On George Springer, Sandy Alderson says it really came down to willing to go five years, but not six. He also adds, "had we signed Springer, probably less likely we'd be able to sign Conforto, for example."

— Steve Gelbs (@SteveGelbs) March 1, 2021

MLB.com's Anthony DiComo reported in April 2021 that Conforto might look to sign for $200 million or more, eclipsing the total Springer received.

His performance ultimately didn't help his bargaining position with the Mets or any other team interested in his services.

In 125 games, Conforto had 14 home runs, 55 RBI and a .232/.344/.384 slash line. According to FanGraphs, his .322 weighted on-base average was 30 points lower than his career average (.352).

The Mets offense as a whole was a bit of mess and failed to live up to expectations. Hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Tom Slater were both fired in the middle of the season.

Lindor saw his batting average slip all the way to .230. Dominic Smith slugged .525 and .616 in 2019 and 2020, respectively, before finishing with a .363 slugging percentage in 2021. Jeff McNeil saw his on-base percentage fall from .383 to .317. In short, Conforto wasn't the only one who struggled at the plate.

Prior to 2021, he was a consistent producer in New York's lineup, so that year may be a bit of an outlier. Per Baseball Savant, his .249 expected batting average was only fractionally worse than his career number (.251), while his expected slugging (.428) was a more pronounced drop from the .463 he has posted since 2015.

The shoulder injury is obviously a massive variable. He might have a clean bill of health now, but nobody can know for sure whether he'll rebound. He may never be the same player after the surgery.

As a short-term gamble, signing Conforto is a worthwhile risk for San Francisco because he was so good from 2017-20. His demand for $200 million looks laughable in retrospect, but his market value before the 2021 season arguably wasn't much below that.

The possible upside justifies the Giants' investment.

As much as this move could help San Francisco, there's no salvaging what has been a disastrous offseason for the franchise.

Carlos Rodón, the ace of the staff, signed with the New York Yankees. That came after Aaron Judged opted to re-sign with the Bronx Bombers having entertained overtures from the Giants. The final insult came as Correa left San Francisco at the altar and signed with the New York Mets instead.

Conforto could make a major difference for a team in need of outfield help, but it already feels like the 2023 season is a lost cause for the Giants.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer has won the appeal of his 324-game suspension.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today shared a statement from Major League Baseball announcing arbitrator Martin Scheinman reduced Bauer's suspension to 194 games on Thursday, meaning he is reinstated.

The official statement by MLB on Trevor Bauer’s suspension reduced to 194 games, reinstating him pic.twitter.com/sQs81yHpSn

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 23, 2022

"While we believe a longer suspension was warranted, MLB will abide by the neutral arbitrator's decision, which upholds baseball's longest-ever active player suspension for sexual assault or domestic violence," the statement said.

On April 29, Major League Baseball announced a 324-game suspension for Bauer covering two full seasons. The suspension didn't include the games he was ineligible to play while on administrative leave.

ESPN's Jeff Passan noted on a May 2022 episode of the Baseball Tonight podcast that a reduced suspension was the most likely outcome from Bauer's grievance against MLB.

"When you look at a suspension as enormous as this one, typically huge suspensions find some kind of reduction," Passan said (h/t SI.com's Inside the Dodgers). "I don't know if it's going to be a half-season, I don't know if it's going to be a full season. But MLB believes that it has a mountain of evidence against Trevor Bauer."

Bauer hasn't appeared in a game since June 28, 2021. Two days later, Southern California law enforcement officials confirmed they were investigating allegations Bauer had sexually assaulted a woman who contacted police on approximately May 16.

Jon Fetterolf, Bauer's attorney, released a statement on behalf of his client denying the allegations:

"Mr. Bauer had a brief and wholly consensual sexual relationship initiated by [his accuser] beginning in April 2021. We have messages that show [his accuser] repeatedly asking for 'rough' sexual encounters. In the days following their second and final encounter, [his accuser] shared photos of herself and indicated that she had sought medical care for a concussion. Mr. Bauer responded with concern and confusion, and [his accuser] was neither angry nor accusatory."

The woman who accused Bauer was granted a temporary restraining order against him. It was dissolved in August 2021 when Los Angeles Superior Court judge Dianna Gould-Saltman denied her request for a permanent restraining order.

MLB placed Bauer on administrative leave on July 2, 2021. Since administrative leave only covers a period of seven days, the league continued to extend it as its investigation into the allegations continued.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced in February it would not pursue criminal charges against Bauer.

"After a thorough review of all the available evidence, including the civil restraining order proceedings, witness statements and the physical evidence, the People are unable to prove the relevant charges beyond a reasonable doubt," the D.A.'s office statement said.

Bauer tweeted after the suspension was announced that he was appealing the decision and denied violating MLB's domestic violence and sexual assault policy.

In the strongest possible terms, I deny committing any violation of the league’s domestic violence & sexual assault policy. I am appealing this action and expect to prevail. As we have throughout this process, my representatives & I respect the confidentiality of the proceedings.

— Trevor Bauer (トレバー・バウアー) (@BauerOutage) April 29, 2022

On the same day the suspension was announced, Gus Garcia-Roberts of the Washington Post reported a second woman had previously been granted a temporary restraining order in 2020 after accusing Bauer of choking her unconscious and punching her without her consent, among other things.

Bauer denied that allegation, and he did the same in April after a third woman told the Washington Post that Bauer had choked her without consent multiple times during sex across a multiyear relationship. Bauer said the acts were consensual.

In May, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported people within the sport were uncertain whether Bauer will ever pitch in MLB again.

"No one wants to stand up there next to him," one longtime baseball person told Heyman.

Bauer's contract with the Dodgers will expire after the 2023 season, though Heyman noted the team could release him now that the result of his appeal is known. The 31-year-old signed a three-year, $102 million deal with Los Angeles in February 2021.

The San Francisco Giants were involved in the most shocking offseason turn of events this week when they held up their deal with star shortstop Carlos Correa over a medical concern, opening the door for him to sign with the New York Mets.

On Thursday, ESPN's Jeff Passan shed light on the thought process behind San Francisco's hesitation, revealing the team had concerns over Correa's lower right leg following his physical examination. The 28-year-old had broken his fibula in 2014 on a slide during a minor league game, which led to surgery.

Passan noted that the Giants' fear "concerned the long-term stability of his leg—and the potential for Correa to quickly lose the mobility that won him a Platinum Glove in 2021."

The assertion likely came as a shock to Correa, who had agreed to a 13-year, $350 million deal on Dec. 13. Per Passan, his surgically repaired leg was an injury he "hadn't thought about in years, and suddenly it was putting in jeopardy the fourth-largest guaranteed contract in North American sports history."

Correa's agent, Scott Boras, dismissed the notion that an injury from eight years ago could affect his client down the line, pointing out that Correa received a 10-year contract offer from the Minnesota Twins, with whom he played the 2022 season.

"If a team familiar with his medical history was willing to offer Correa a decade-long contract, [Boras'] reasoning went, how bad could the injury really be?" Passan wrote.

The Mets swooped in and signed Correa to a 12-year, $315 million contract. It was another heartbreaker for San Francisco this offseason after its failed pursuit of American League MVP Aaron Judge, who re-signed with the New York Yankees.

The Giants are hoping to bounce back from a disappointing 2022 season in which they finished with an 81-81 record and failed to make the playoffs for the fifth time in the last six years.