Dodgers Team News

Dodgers: How Will Trevor Bauer Affect Payroll in 2023?

A few weeks ago, we heard that one of the reasons the Dodgers were being cautious with their spending this offseason was uncertainty over whether they’d have to pay Trevor Bauer in 2023. On Thursday evening, we finally got the news that, yes, Los Angeles will be on the hook for most of Bauer’s salary next year, as his suspension was reduced to 194 games, AKA “time served.”

The 194 games cover the 144 games he missed in 2022 after being suspended. The other 50 games are more confusing, as they cover 50 of the games when he was on administrative leave prior to the suspension, but the pay will be docked for the first 50 games of 2023. So Los Angeles will only be on the hook for 69.1% of his salary next year.

The Dodgers will save roughly $9.87 million on Bauer’s salary next year. Bauer’s number for luxury tax purposes is $34 million (the average annual value of his three-year, $102 million contract), and when you drop the 30.9% off of that, that’s where DiGiovanna gets the number of $23.5 million. (It’s probably actually $23,506,173 or so.)

While DiGiovanna is correct about that putting L.A. just $0.7 million under the luxury tax, those numbers are just estimates right now based on what players are projected to make in arbitration. And the luxury tax numbers can go up or down throughout the season as they add or remove players.

The Dodgers could try to trade Bauer, which might save them a little money. There was a report that the Pirates might be interested in Bauer if L.A. released him, and a team like Pittsburgh might be willing to make a trade knowing their chances of signing him as a free agent are lower. But Los Angeles would likely have to pay most of Bauer’s salary even in a trade, so the savings would be minimal.

As it stands, the Dodgers are at a crossroads. They still have holes on their roster, but if they’re intent on staying under the luxury tax, they don’t really have any room to make additions without making corresponding subtractions. So either they stand pat, or they abandon the idea of getting under the luxury tax and try again next year or the year after.

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Jeff Snider

Jeff was born into a Dodgers family in Southern California and is now raising a Dodgers family of his own in Utah. During his previous career as an executive at a technology company, he began writing about baseball in his spare time. After leaving corporate America in 2014, he started doing it professionally. Jeff wrote and edited for Baseball Essential for years before joining Dodgers Nation. He's also the co-host of the Locked On Dodgers podcast, a daily podcast that brings the smart fan's perspective on our Boys in Blue. Jeff has a degree in English from Brigham Young University. Favorite Player: Clayton Kershaw Favorite Moment: Kirk Gibson's homer will always have a place, but Kershaw's homer on Opening Day 2013 might be the winner.

21 Comments

  1. Maybe throw in a minor leaguer or two and pay some of the salary to see if it is enough for CF
    Reynolds?

  2. Just put him back on the roster already. Everyone knows the ‘woman’ is a money grubbing ho. The Dodgers really needed him last season, and still need him. This thing is absurdly ridiculous. Put him back on the Dodger roster!

  3. Please get rid of Baur and give him his money. He is not a good hitter or person and has a bad attitude about hitting and would be better with another team. He has a temper and shows it when pitches and someone hits a strike he throws. Get rid of him.

    1. ??? Trevor Bauer is a pitcher and with every team using a DH he never has to hit again. I say the Dodgers need to look at his current physical conditioning and talent to pitch and if he’s at his prior levels of performance and management feels the team will accept him back as a team mate do not release him. Let him pitch !

    2. I concur. He’s not “Dodgers” material. Since Brooklyn days, the team has maintained an image of class. Bauer was never team material nor was he a *great* pitcher; good in his head but not in actuality. Pay him off and send him to the Astros.

  4. Put him back on the roster, guilty or innocent he has been “PUNISH” enough. Media keeps pushing a high road narrative. How about they write about Manfred and the FTX scam, stealing monies from investors

  5. Noah Camras says there is no chance to obtain Bryan Reynolds’s from Pittsburgh. You say that Pittsburgh might be interested in getting Trevor Bauer. Why not try to work a trade Bauer for Reynolds. Don’t ask; Don’t get!

  6. I think the Dodgers were going to stay under the tax line if they got Bauer off the books but will spend past it now that the moral degenerate’s salary must be paid.

  7. Dodgers should sue Bauer for damages and breach of contract….he has cost them many million with more loses of $, players, flexibility on the way….not to mention reputation.
    Would LA have let JT go without cost of Bauer??

        1. What do these comments have to do with Bauer situation? I’m not sure Bauer could get back to top form as starter. Why not use him in pen as long as he’s going to get paid by Dodgers.

  8. Let’s be logical about the situation, and not cheap! Which the. Dodger have proved, in the pass, they are very capable of being! The team is in need of pitching, so why not bring him on and stop all the acrimony. After all, winning is still the priority, right?

  9. At the end of the day baseball is a business and what happens on player’s personal time is no concern to the dodgers fans . Put bauer back on the roster if he wins dodgers fans that don’t already want him back on the team will forget all about what happened.

  10. I agree. If the Dodgers dump Bauer then why not dump Urias? These FO Goody Two Shoes pick and choose without regard to being consistent with their message on domestic violence. Total BS. Baseball just doesn’t like Bauer’s attitude and personality.

  11. Lmfao sue Bauer? For what? He was falsely accused and Rob Manfred suspended him. So tell me, how is it his fault? But its good to know there are woke fans like yourself who like to jump to conclusions and accuse others of wrongdoing when they didnt do anything wrong.

  12. Let him stay. I do think he needs to send an apology out for the events that led to this, if he shows a little remorse, humbleness, even if he does not mean it, the fans will accept him back. Public apology goes a long way. Something Correa will never know… lol

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