Trevor Bauer's lateral move puts MLB argument to bed once and for all

When Trevor Bauer was carving up independent ball with the Long Island Ducks earlier this spring, he made sure to tell anyone who would listen — or really, anyone within earshot, whether they wanted to listen or not — that this was definitive proof of the fact that he could still help an MLB rotation. Never mind that he was facing lineups full of guys who only played in the low Minors, if that; doubting a guy who was literally the worst starter in Japan in 2025 is the behavior of Haters and Losers.

Apparently all 30 Major League organizations are haters and losers as well, though, because all that Bauer's work with the Ducks has earned him is ... a contract with Diablos Rojos of the Mexican League, where Bauer previously pitched in 2024.

I'm sure Bauer will hop on social media imminently to explain to everyone how this is actually a great sign for his career, and why he's still not giving up on his dream of returning to the Majors. But the reality is that said dream died years ago, entirely of Bauer's own doing — because of his choices that resulted in both accusations of sexual assault and alienated teammates. Strip away all the noise, and you have a 35-year-old bouncing around the margins of the game in a desperate attempt just to keep his name in headlines.

Trevor Bauer's return to Mexico should put a fork in any hopes of an MLB return

Really, if a big-league team felt comfortable taking a chance on Bauer — as a pitcher and, even more importantly, as a person — they would have done so by now. But if it didn't happen when he was 32 or 33, still closer to his peak as an MLB starter, why would it happen now that he's in obvious decline and has offered zero evidence in years that he can get world-class hitters out?

I'm sure Bauer will pitch pretty well in Mexico, just as he did in 2024 when he was named Mexican League Pitcher of the Year while leading Diablos to a Serie del Rey title. But to say that the Mexican League is a cut below the Majors is a pretty profound understatement. This is an environment in which Seth Beer — whose last big-league experience came with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022, when he slashed .189/.278/.243 — leads the league in OPS.

If Bauer were able to pitch in a more competitive league, he'd jump at the chance; he's never missed an opportunity to earn people's attention. This is now the fourth or fifth time that the baseball world has told us what they think of him, and it's hardly like all of these organizations are social crusaders. He's simply not a very good starter at this point in his career, certainly not good enough to pitch at the very highest level. I'd say that taking another contract in Mexico will put the matter to bed once and for all, but who am I kidding — if anybody knows how to keep people talking about him against their will, it's Bauer.

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