Trevor Bauer Signs Deal for 2026

Former Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer will be returning to pitch on U.S. soil for the first time in five years, signing a new contract with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League.

Trevor Bauer signs with @LIDucks He is their scheduled Opening Day starter
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) April 2, 2026

Bauer has been blackballed from Major League Baseball after being accused of sexual assault midway through the 2021 season. After a lengthy investigation by the league, he was suspended in 2022 for "violating MLB’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy."

Bauer has claimed his innocence throughout the entire process, and he has never faced criminal charges. He won a defamation lawsuit of over $300,000 last year against the woman whose accusations got him suspended.

Bauer won the 2020 NL Cy Young award with the Cincinnati Reds, then signed a three-year, $102 million free agent contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He was put on leave after the sexual assault allegations emerged and was initially handed a 324-game suspension by MLB. That was reduced to a 192-game ban by an arbitrator, and Bauer was reinstated at the end of 2022, but the LA Dodgers cut him in January of 2023. Bauer has pitched in Japan and Mexico in the interim.

Now 35, he'll be the Opening Day starter for the Long Island Ducks this month in his first time pitching in the U.S. since the whole drama began.

The Atlantic League is now considered a professional partner league with Major League Baseball, according to The Athletic. MLB’s website notes that the independent league provides opportunities “for veteran players who seek a second chance to reach the Major Leagues.”

“We are excited to welcome Trevor to Long Island,” said Ducks president/CBO Michael Pfaff in a statement. “His talent and knowledge will be important additions to our ballclub, and we are happy to offer him this opportunity to showcase his talents to MLB clubs while giving fans unprecedented access to Ducks baseball.”

Other players whom the Ducks have signed in the past include Rich Hill, Dontrelle Willis, Daniel Murphy and Eric Gagné.