Former Los Angeles Dodgers star pitcher Trevor Bauer is reportedly headed to Japan to play with the Yokohama BayStars, per YamadaSANSPO on Twitter. The contract is reportedly worth $4 million (plus incentives) for one season.

Bauer's original 324-game suspension was reduced to 194 games this past offseason. As a result, Bauer would have been able to play in MLB this year. However, the Dodgers released the former Cy Young Award winner and he did not sign with an MLB club following the release.

He was linked to a number of big league ball clubs, but a deal failed to come to fruition with any of them. Teams were forced to weigh the risk versus reward of signing Trevor Bauer. He's an extremely talented pitcher capable of boosting a rotation. However, he would also bring no shortage of attention which could prove to be an unnecessary distraction. As a result, many teams were hesitant in regards to offering Bauer a deal.

Trevor Bauer's MLB career 

Bauer originally broke into the major leagues with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2012, but was dealt to the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) in 2013. He initially struggled in Cleveland, but emerged as an All-Star in 2018. He would have been a strong candidate to win the AL Cy Young Award in '18 had an injury not cut his season short.

After being traded from Cleveland to the Cincinnati Reds in 2019, Bauer ended up winning the NL Cy Young Award in 2020 with the Reds. He then inked a lucrative contract with the Dodgers prior to the 2021 campaign, and pitched well to begin his Dodgers tenure. However, a sexual assault allegation cut his campaign short in the middle of the 2021 season, and he hasn't appeared in an MLB game since.

Trevor Bauer's MLB career isn't necessarily over. If he pitches well enough in Japan this season, a team may be willing to take a chance on him. Bauer's 2023 performance will be pivotal as he looks to reestablish himself.