Next year's ransom of 6.6 billion is the highest in Japan's history
Bauer, who won the Major League National League Cy Young Award in 2020, qualified for FA after the season and succeeded in signing a three-year, $102 million jackpot contract with the LA Dodgers.
However, during the 2021 season, his fate changed as he was embroiled in allegations of sexual violence. He was placed on administrative leave by the Major League Baseball Secretariat and did not play for a year and a half until the 2022 season. The investigation was conducted for nearly a year and a half, and judicial punishment was avoided due to the prosecution's non-prosecution. In December last year, the Major League Baseball Secretariat reduced the suspension of the game. However, the LA Dodgers released Bauer, who had a one-year contract left in January.
Bauer, who could not find a new team in the Major League, started a new start in the Japanese professional baseball league in March by signing a one-year contract with Yokohama for $3 million (about 4 billion won). Bauer, who built up his body step by step in the second division due to a late contract, made his Japanese professional baseball debut in early May.
Bauer, who won his debut in Japan in early May with seven hits (one home run), nine strikeouts and one run in seven innings, has since been hit hard with seven runs in two consecutive games. There was an opinion that he had been analyzed by Japan's microscopic baseball, and he went down to the second division and returned by adjusting quick motion.
He has been pitching steadily since the first division's restoration. Except for two hard hits, he recorded 15 quality starts in 16 games. In the match against Hiroshima on August 3, he threw 123 pitches until the 10th inning of extra time and pitched without losing a point. He threw 126 pitches against Chunichi on the 25th and achieved his 10th win of the season with two runs in eight innings.
Bauer started the season a month late, but is 10-4 with a 2.75 ERA in 18 appearances. He is tied for second place, one win behind the league's most wins (11 wins). He is second in the category with 128 strikeouts. There are nine differences from the first place. The quality start is tied for first place (15 innings) in the league and fourth in innings (130 innings).
Most Japanese pitchers take the mound once a week at 5-6 days off intervals, but Bauer is making up for a month's absence in multiple wins and innings by volunteering to take the mound on four days off like in the Major League.
Japanese media Daily Sports said, "Yokohama and Bauer are known to have signed a one-year contract of $3 million. "It's an exceptionally low amount for an active major league player as a winner of the Major League Cy Young Award, but there's a reason," he said. "Bauer will receive an annual salary of about $30 million from the Dodgers this season with a three-year, total of $102 million signed by the LA Dodgers in 2021. "Yokohama was able to recruit Bauer for $3 million because of his huge income," he said.
The media said, "Bauer is competing for the title of the most wins, and he is showing his original skills. Although there has been a gap in the past two years, some teams may start recruiting in the Major League next year as they proved their ability as a starting pitcher. However, he predicted, "There is a possibility that he will play in Japan next year because there are many major league clubs that refuse due to sexual violence."
Meanwhile, the highest annual salary ever for Japanese professional baseball is 900 million yen (about 8.2 billion won) for Rakuten Tanaka Masahiro. Roberto Petazini's highest salary for foreign players is 720 million yen (about 6.6 billion won). Daily Sports said, "You won't be able to sign a contract with an annual salary of $3 million like this season. It is inevitable that it becomes a money game," he said.
BY: 토토사이트
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