Former Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer is beginning another chapter in his professional baseball career.
Bauer, 35, signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), the team announced Thursday, April 2.
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The former MLB All-Star is slated to be the starting pitcher on opening night against the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars on April 21 at Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip, New York.
“We are excited to welcome Trevor to Long Island,” Ducks President/CBO Michael Pfaff said in a news release. “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.”
The Ducks also plan to have Bauer provide in-game commentary and access as he will be “mic’d up” for all games and practices to create content for their social media platforms and streaming outlets.
“I’m looking forward to competing in front of U.S. fans again this season,” said Bauer. “The Ducks have had some incredible players come through their organization, and I’m excited to be part of that tradition.”
A look back at Bauer’s MLB career
Bauer has spent 15 years playing professional baseball. He previously spent 10 seasons in Major League Baseball, where he played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Indians (now Guardians), Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers.
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His career began as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, selected by the Diamondbacks. Bauer made his first MLB appearance in 2012 and pitched for another decade.
While in Cleveland, Bauer was named to the AL All-Star team in 2018. His best season came a couple of years later pitching for the Reds. Bauer recorded a 1.73 ERA in the 2020 season, and allowed just 41 hits while striking out 100 batters in 73 innings of work for Cincinnatti, earning him the National League Cy Young Award.
In 10 MLB seasons, Bauer notched 83 wins in 212 big league starts.
Bauer’s baseball dreams continue post-MLB
Bauer was released from the Dodgers in January 2023 after after serving a 194-game suspension for violating MLB’s domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. Bauer was never charged with a crime, and all civil claims were eventually settled.
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Prior to signing with the Ducks, Bauer spent the past three seasons pitching in Japan and Mexico.
Bauer immediately signed with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league. After completing one season, Bauer went to Mexico to play for the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League (LMB).
He helped position los Diablos Rojos to a Mexican League championship in 2024.
Who are the Long Island Ducks?
The Long Island Ducks have been around since 2000 and are entering their 26th season of play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
The team plays its home games at Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip, N.Y.
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The club is arguably the best in Atlantic League history, boasting the record for all-time wins and number of attendance.
For five consecutive seasons, the Ducks led all MLB Partner Leagues in total attendance, including selling out a record 721 games.
The Atlantic League is MLB’s first ever professional partner league and serves as a stepping stone for players to make it to the major leagues.
The league has drawn nearly 50 million fans to their 10 ballparks from New York to North Carolina. In 27 years, the Atlantic League has sent more than 1,450 players to the majors.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trevor Bauer signs with Long Island Ducks of Atlantic League baseball
