Trevor Bauer's 324-game suspension was reduced to 194-games on Thursday. The controversial pitcher is excited to be back, but his return will be felt by the Dodgers. If LA releases Bauer, which they are expected by many around the MLB world to do, they will still need to pay him $23 million dollars, per Bob Nightengale. And for a team looking to remain under the luxury tax, dishing out an extra $23 million is no easy task.

The Dodgers' lack of spending in MLB free agency has been chalked up to a number of different reasons. The luxury tax, as aforementioned, being one of those reasons. Others believe that LA is saving up for a run at Shohei Ohtani next offseason. However, the Dodgers have thought about the Trevor Bauer situation throughout the offseason. As a result, it presented a major roadblock for them in free agency from a financial perspective.

The Dodgers will be required to make an official decision on the pitcher's future with the team by January 6th. There is a possibility that LA keeps Trevor Bauer on the roster and looks to trade him. But as mentioned earlier, they are expected by many to release him.

Trevor Bauer's representatives released a statement on his behalf once the news became official. Despite having the suspension reduced, they disagreed that discipline was necessary in the first place.

“Statement from Jon Fetterolf, Shawn Holley and me (Rachel Luba): While we are pleased that Mr. Bauer has been reinstated immediately, we disagree that any discipline should have been imposed. Mr. Bauer looks forward to his return to the field, where his goal remains to help his team win a WS,” Bauer's agent Rachel Luba shared on Twitter.

We will continue to provide updates on the Dodgers-Trevor Bauer situation.