Bauer’s Desperate Bid for Major League Comeback: Speculation Swirls Around Top Contender and Surprising Transfer Destination

Trevor Bauer, 33, is a former Cy Young Award-winning right fielder for DeNA. He is eager to return to the big leagues, saying, “I don’t care if I get the lowest guaranteed salary in the majors,” but for now he is in limbo.

Bauer joined the Mexico City Red Devils of the Mexican League for a limited time and has been pitching well, pitching three scoreless innings in an exhibition match against the Yankees on March 24. He has made offers through his agent to all 30 teams in the majors, but none of them are willing to take him because of his past problems with women.

He was holding out a glimmer of hope on offers from some teams that had limited budgets and whose team structure was not finalized until the very last minute, but no matter how long he waited, no good news arrived. This pitch was meant to be a final appeal, but it is said that few scouts from major teams came. In effect, his path to return to the major leagues is closed.

If it seems hopeless that he will return to the American baseball world, I would like to see him play in the Japanese baseball world.

The Giants and Softbank, both of which have financial resources, are said to have been investigating Bauer since last year, but they were too eager to do so. He hasn’t pitched long innings in a real game, and he needs to make adjustments. He will probably be able to return to Japanese baseball at the earliest after the interchange games in June. His salary is also a bottleneck. Last season, he was paid only about 400 million yen because the Dodgers paid him a large portion of his remaining contract, but this season, his salary is estimated to be at least 1 billion yen. Considering the cost performance, it was not worth it. Judging that way, the Giants and Softbank seem to have pulled out.

On the other hand, DeNA, his old team, is ready to acquire Shota Imanaga (30), who was transferred to the Cubs via the posting system, by diverting the 1 billion yen he received for his transfer. Since starters are the biggest reinforcement point, we definitely want to get Bauer, even if it means a cash fight, and the DeNA side is prepared for a long battle, saying, Even if he comes back late, we’ll wait.

However, this NPB official believes that there could be an ultra C that is not in the majors or in Japan.

This is a surprise participation in the United League, which is scheduled to be launched in the fall of this year in countries in the Middle East and South Asia. Here, you can prepare a super high annual salary backed by oil money. We are already top soccer players. We are playing in the Middle East for a huge amount of money. If Bauer suddenly joins the game, there is no doubt that baseball fans around the world will pay attention.

Bauer, who captivated Japanese professional baseball fans with his energetic pitching, will be able to excite spectators in which countries with his strong arms this season.