Trevor Bauer hopes latest appearance proved he’s ‘still an elite pitcher’

GLENDALE, Ariz. - On Sunday, former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer took the mound at Camelback Ranch in Arizona against some minor leaguers with his former team. 

Following a two-year suspension after violating MLB’s sexual assault and domestic violence policy, the Dodgers cut ties with the Cy Young winner last January after he was reinstated. Following a separate investigation, a Los Angeles County judge declined to file criminal charges against him.

Bauer did not receive an offer from any other team in the league. He then signed a one-year contract with the Yohohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. 

On Thursday, the right-handed pitcher signed with the Asian Breeze, a pay-to-play independent travel team.

Trevor Bauer. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

ESPN reported that after the game, in which Bauer pitched three scoreless innings with four strikeouts, he told media members it’s "not about the money," and that he should have another opportunity to sign with another MLB team. 

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"I've served my suspension twice over. I've been cleared of everything in the legal system. If you think about it logically, there's really no reason I shouldn't have a job. But I don't. So it is what it is. We'll see how it plays out. I don't want to predict the future. We'll see."

Despite everything he’s been through, Bauer said he still enjoys pitching and perfecting his craft. He has since added "I'm a better pitcher than I was last time people here saw me," he said. "Hopefully, today reminded them that I'm still an elite pitcher. If not, that's fine, too."

In a separate interview with USA Today, he said he stays ready and "maybe people somehow will remember that I'm still one of the best pitchers in the world.’’

This story was reported from Los Angeles.