PHOENIX — It’s only a quarter-mile walk from the clubhouse to Field 6 on the back fields of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ spring-training complex, but on Sunday afternoon, it might as well have been to the moon and back.
Three years ago, Trevor Bauer was suiting up in the Dodgers’ spring-training clubhouse, fresh off signing a three-year, $102 million free-agent contract.
This day, while the Dodgers were playing the Arizona Diamondbacks at Camelback Ranch in a rematch of last year’s NL Division Series, Bauer was dressed in an Asian Breeze jersey, wearing No. 77.
It was his first game on American soil since his record-long 194-game suspension for violating MLB’s domestic violence and sexual assault policy.
“I just stay ready,’’ Bauer said, “and maybe people somehow will remember that I’m still one of the best pitchers in the world.’’
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While there were about 150 to 200 fans on hand on the back fields, including his parents, his agent and several fans wearing Bauer jerseys or ‘Bring Back Bauer’ t-shirts, there was not an MLB scout or Dodger executive in sight.
They missed Bauer hitting 99 mph on the radar gun several times, dominating a Dodgers minor league team that included three players on their 40-man roster including prized prospects in outfielder Andy Pages (who produced the only clean hit), and catchers Diego Cartaya and Hunter Feduccia.
He struck out four of the 12 batters he faced on a split-fingered fastball, retired the last eight, and even toyed with Feduccia for the final out by having fans next to the bench call his pitches, with Bauer letting everyone know what was coming.
Feduccia bounced out to Bauer for the out, the crowd roared, and Bauer threw his hands up in the air while his dad, Warren, walked over the bleachers and yelled, “Vintage Trevor! Vintage Trevor!’’
Several fans yelled, “We love you, Trevor.’’ Two fans in the bleacher said they were diehard Dodger fans, but were rooting for Bauer to dominate the minor leaguers. There was not a soul who booed.
Former Dodgers pitching greats Rick Honeycutt and Charlie Hough were on hand watching the performance, but they were there to assist the Dodgers’ minor leaguers, not to provide assessments on Bauer.
‘I mean for those who saw me pitch,’’ Bauer said, “I think it was pretty obvious I was still elite. Telling hitters what pitch was coming, and getting outs. I think anyone who was here could see that the stuff was elite. Command is there. Shapes are there. All that. …
“I’m a better pitcher now than I was the last time people here saw me. Hopefully today reminded them that I’m still an elite pitcher.
“If not, that’s fine too.’’
Bauer, who pitched for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars last season, reminded teams once again that he’ll pitch for the major-league minimum salary of $740,000. And if teams ever change their mind, they can release him with no questions asked.
“I mean if you think about it, I should have the opportunity to sign with a big league team,’’ Bauer said. “I’m just asking for the league minimum, so it’s not a money thing. 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.’’
Bauer has no further pitching stints planned with the Asian Breeze, a tryout program that charges players about $2,500 for a 20-day barnstorming tour through the U.S. He has no tryouts scheduled. For now, he’ll return to his Scottsdale, Arizona, fitness center, and continue working out, ready in case someone changes their mind.
Yet, it has been 424 days since the Dodgers released him, making him a free agent, with every team having the opportunity to sign him to a contract.
No team has yet to make an offer.
“I’ll keep training, try to entertain fans on YouTube,’’ Bauer said, “and then see where it goes from there. I don’t know. I don’t really plan at this point, because everything is out of my control.’’