Former MLB slugger says teams should want Trevor Bauer, but pitcher must do something first

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At this point, it appears to be a long shot that Trevor Bauer will get back into Major League Baseball.

But the possibility is certainly alive after he recently threw a no-hitter for the Long Island Ducks of the Independent League.

Bauer recently shut down claims that he is "washed" on social media, saying that both his velocity and induced vertical break ("ride") are higher now on fastballs than they were in 2020 when he won the Cy Young Award.

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Trevor Bauer smiles after pitching no-hitter for Long Island Ducks on Sunday, April 26, 2026. (Jordan McGregor)

But what's become evident that's keeping him out is prior allegations of sexual assault, which initially got him suspended for two full seasons before it was reduced to 194 games.

Bauer has continued to maintain his innocence and said he has told teams he'd play "for free." On the flip side, though, Bauer once said in 2024 he "may have no other choice" but to sue the league. He also most recently called out MLB after Pete Rose and other deceased former ballplayers were taken off the league’s permanently ineligible list.

"I think he needs to clear up the issues with MLB first before he gets to this level. I think one thing with Trevor Bauer was that he went against MLB, and you can't go against the hands that really feeds you," Pujols recently told Fox News Digital.

If he could do that, though, teams should jump at the opportunity, Pujols said.

"I had an opportunity to play with him with the (Los Angeles) Dodgers. Who doesn't want to have Trevor Bauer on their team? Of course," Pujols said.

"But I think at the end of the day, you