If you follow Dodgers Daily you know that the word “Culture” is used a lot on this site. The Dodgers organization truly wants its players to be great people first and good players second. It’s not an option in this organization and it’s something that the players are made to understand when they first enter.
Trevor Bauer didn’t fit into the Dodgers culture, simple as that.
Social media has been filled full of different defenses for Bauer since his reinstatement, and here are the ones that I hear the most.
He was found innocent.
Actually, he wasn’t found innocent, and in fact, he was actually found guilty. He was found guilty of violating the MLB Domestic Violence policy to the tune of warranting the largest suspension of its kind in the history of baseball.
His case was Overturned
His case was anything but overturned, and, in fact, the arbitrating judge upheld what was, again, the longest suspension of its kind in the history of the MLB, even with its reduction.
Again, the arbitrating judge reduced the suspension, he didn’t overturn it.
And to further drive home this point, not only did the arbitrating judge uphold the longest suspension of its kind in the history of the MLB, but he also added a 50-game lack of pay suspension to the end of the suspension as well.
Bauer actually got a very “Damning” decision handed down by the arbiter, not an overturn.
If the Dodgers kept Julio Urias, then they should keep Bauer too.
First, second, third, fourth, fifth, and however long I could keep going, Julio Urias took full accountability for his situation. In fact, he didn’t appeal his suspension, and in his original statement about the situation, he did his best to create the smallest distraction possible for the club.
Urias cooperated fully with both law enforcement and the MLB and there was no injury that took place during the incident and no files charged because his girlfriend “at no point indicated to either the uniformed police officers or to civilian witnesses that she believed she was a victim.”
In plain terms, that means that there was no time during the incident that she felt like a crime had been committed against her by Urias.
Urias also acknowledged that MLB players should be held to a higher standard, and made it clear that he was going to hold himself to a higher standard moving forward.
Urias also took all the necessary steps, such as counseling, to correct the issue in an attempt to guarantee that an incident like that would never happen again.
Here was Urias’s statement
“Today I accepted a suspension from Major League Baseball and agreed not to exercise my right to appeal. It is important to me to not create uncertainty for my teammates as we approach the playoffs. Accepting the suspension is the best path to achieve that goal.
“Since May, I have been fully cooperating with both law enforcement and MLB. Although the authorities determined no charges of any kind were warranted, I accept full responsibility for what I believe was inappropriate conduct during the incident. Even in this instance where there was no injury or history of violence, I understand and agree that Major League players should be held to a higher standard. I hold myself to a higher standard as well. I have taken proactive steps to help me grow as a person on and off the field, and in my relationships, including attending counseling sessions.
“I am deeply grateful for all the support I’ve received during this challenging time. I look forward to proving it is well deserved.”
The only similarities to draw between the Urias and Bauer situations is that neither were charged. But, one took full responsibility while the other continued to deny that any punishment should have been given out in the first place. And, just as a parting gift, left divisive comments on his way out.
Here was what Bauer’s representative said after he was reinstated two weeks ago.
“While we are pleased that Mr. Bauer has been reinstated immediately, we disagree that any discipline should have been imposed,”
The Dodgers need him because they need more pitching.
The decision to keep Bauer or not had 0 to do with whether he can help the team on the mound or not. If the Dodgers didn’t think he could help them on the mound, they wouldn’t have signed him to begin with. When an off-the-field issue is in question, a player’s on-the-field ability is not part of the equation, nor should it be.
If you’ve ever been a part of a team where the good players can do as they please, but then the “not as good” players get blasted for everything they do, you know that setup is dysfunctional. It’s not an environment that the Dodgers will even consider, so, whether you’re the least talented player at Rancho or the most talented player in the MLB, the Dodgers are going to hold both to the exact same standards.
And, for that, I am extremely thankful.
If the Club releases him they will be paying for him to help another team, and possibly one that the Dodgers have to face.
This is 100% true, but, again, is an absolute non-factor. Either the club believes they can fit a player into their culture or they don’t. If they don’t, and the collateral damage is that someone else takes a chance on him so be it, but, again, the Dodgers are going to hold their players to a higher standard.
And, again, for that, I am very thankful.
If Bauer goes to a competitor and helps them win, that will be hard to watch and very tough to stomach.
But, that’s the short term
The Dodgers will recover from his loss, and, in the long run, they will do it with their culture and standards intact if not strengthened. That in itself will lead to much larger amounts of success in the future.
What players do off the field is none of our business.
That is true to the extent that no fan has the right to pry into the personal space of a professional player, but it’s not true that the organization shouldn’t hold its players to a high standard of conduct off the field. If a player is not conducting themselves off the field in a manner that is conducive to the Dodgers brand, then they don’t last.
Again, one of the first things a player is told when they enter the organization is that they need to be great people first, then great players second.
Everyone deserves a Second Chance
Actually, when the Dodgers brought Bauer in, they were giving him a second chance, or at least the benefit of the doubt.
According to the Washington Post, this is not the first time that Bauer has been accused of this conduct. In fact, he was accused of very similar actions when he played for the Reds by a woman in Ohio.
So, whether he did the things he’s been accused of or not, the recent accusations are part of a pattern, not an isolated incident.
Conclusion
Whichever side Dodgers fans may fall on, the one thing that we can all agree on is that the conclusion has been drawn and that the Dodgers are tasked with picking up the pieces left behind. Of course, they still have to pay his $22.5 Million for 2023 and that puts the club in a position where, after arbitration cases and bonus payouts, they will probably exceed the luxury tax, so it’s a terrible situation on several different layers.
But, keep in mind, the Dodgers won 111 games last year without him and they still have Kershaw, Urias, Gonsolin, May, Syndergaard, and a bushel full of extremely talented rookies to fill the starting rotation.
Evan Phillips and Alex Vesia are still a 1-2 punch in the pen, and Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Will Smith, Gavin Lux, and Max Muncy will be in the offensive lineup almost every day. So, the sky is not falling, not close.
What a wonderful article. I love how you addressed all the issues, I am sure that the people that want Bauer back won’t agree, but that is their choice. I agree with everything you said; thanks for posting this.
Thank you for your kind words, I really appreciate it.