MEXICO CITY -- Trevor Bauer was cleared to play in the Mexican League because he was not convicted for charges of sexual assault, according to the executive president for the Diablos Rojos club, Othón Díaz, on Tuesday.
Bauer, the 2020 NL Cy Young Award winner, is slated to play five games for Diablos Rojos that included a weekend exhibition against the New York Yankees.
The 33-year-old Bauer was given an unprecedented two-season suspension without pay by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred in 2022 for violating the league's domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy after a San Diego woman said Bauer beat and sexually abused her, an accusation the pitcher denied.
An arbitration panel cut the suspension to 194 games, and Bauer was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers in January 2023. He spent last season with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Japan's Pacific League.
Bauer was not charged with any crime. The woman who made the accusations settled the legal dispute with the pitcher, Bauer's lawyers have said.
Díaz said Bauer will help grow the Diablos Rojos brand.
"There are some players that are very enticing to sign from a sporting perspective, but we cannot sign them, us or anyone in our league," Díaz said.
Bauer announced Monday in an online post that he will play in Mexico.
"For example, Trevor's post had like 900,000 likes, that's an aspect where we are looking to make an impact to keep growing the brand," Díaz said. "We are leaders in the Mexican League, but we want to lead against other sports that are much more popular in Mexico, specifically soccer."
Having completed his MLB discipline, Bauer is not restricted in his ability to sign with or face a MLB team.
Bauer made at least one appearance for a barnstorming independent team this spring against a team of Dodgers minor leaguers. He is 83-69 with a 3.79 ERA in 212 starts and 10 relief appearances with Arizona (2012), Cleveland (2013-19), Cincinnati (2019-20) and the Dodgers (2021).
Former major league pitcher Roberto Osuna played for the Diablos Rojos in 2021 and 2022. He was suspended for 75 games in 2018 for violating the domestic violence policy.