Trevor Bauer's Mexican League debut went about as poorly as possible
No MLB team is willing to touch Trevor Bauer right now, and his first start in the Mexican League suggests that's for the best.
By Mark Powell
In a limited contract with the Diablos Rojos del México in the Mexican League, Trevor Bauer's regular-season debut didn't go as planned. Bauer, who was suspended for the better part of two seasons for violating the league's domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, spent the 2023 campaign in Japan and is now pitching in Mexico.
It should be noted that Bauer has denied the allegations against him at every turn. However, his return to MLB remains in doubt for several reasons. First is the obvious fact that he's faced lawsuits and past criminal investigations for sexual crimes. While Bauer was not found guilty of those actions, signing him would serve as a tough PR hit for any interested party. The second reason is that Bauer hasn't faced consistent MLB-level competition in quite some time.
Bauer's camp tried to fix that this spring by signing with Diablos, which faced the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees. Those teams were made up of predominantly minor leaguers, which Bauer dispatched of rather quickly.
Trevor Bauer's Mexican League debut did not go well
In his outing against Tigres, Bauer didn't make it out of the fourth inning, giving up seven hits and four earned runs while striking out just two batters. The same stuff that overwhelmed the Dodgers and Yankees spring training squads didn't fare as well against Mexican League hitters.
Trevor Bauer in his first regular season Mexico start
— Griff (@Jram2TBJ) April 16, 2024
3.2 IP
7 hits
4 runs
2 Ks
1 error pic.twitter.com/nTRyThQXZV
Heck, even Bauer's statistics against the Yankees this spring are misleading.
What the lineup Bauer faced today did in 2023:
— Addison (@YankeeWRLD) March 24, 2024
81 OPS+
87 OPS+
58 OPS+
53 OPS+
Played in the KBO, career 59 OPS+
56 OPS+
54 OPS+
.757 OPS in A and AA
119 OPS+ in 28 plate appearances
And he had a 2.00 WHIP, using this outing to prove he should be signed is pretty funny https://t.co/mVw0aQEfzU
Based purely on his pitching ability alone, Bauer still has a lot to prove after nearly two years away from an MLB mound.
"I'd certainly like to pitch in the big leagues again, but right now my focus is pitching here. I try to focus on what's in front of me," Bauer said this spring, per ESPN. "Hopefully at some point in the future I can play in the big leagues again, but I'm a Diablo right now."
If his first regular-season start for Diablos is any indication, Bauer still has some adjustments to make before he's ready to make that leap.
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