Dodgers release Trevor Bauer

The Dodgers are officially out of the Trevor Bauer business, with the pitcher released on Thursday after clearing waivers. He is now a free agent.

Bauer was designated for assignment on January 6, two weeks after an independent arbitrator announced a 194-game suspension (reduced from 324 games), the longest in the eight-year history of MLB’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy.

“Now that this process has been completed, and after careful consideration, we have decided that he will no longer be part of our organization,” the Dodgers said in a statement last Friday.

The Dodgers are on the hook for Bauer’s salary for 2023, which was reduced to roughly $22.5 million after his suspension included 50 days of docked pay along with his immediate reinstatement. Any team can now sign Bauer for the major league minimum of $720,000, which would offset what the Dodgers owe.