Trevor Bauer arrived in Los Angeles in February 2021 as the top starting pitcher on the free-agent market, coming off his first Cy Young Award with Cincinnati. The Dodgers handed him a 3-year, $102 million contract — placing him among the highest-paid pitchers in the game. The deal also included annual opt-out clauses that kept Bauer in control of his own future.
His Biggest Contract
- Team: Los Angeles Dodgers
- Signed: February 11, 2021
- Length: 3 years (2021–2023)
- Total guaranteed value: $102 million
- Average annual value: $34 million
How the Deal Was Structured
The contract was front-loaded, meaning Bauer collected the bulk of the money in the early years. At $34 million per season on average, it was one of the richest pitcher contracts of its time. The opt-outs after 2021 and 2022 were a central piece of the negotiation — they gave Bauer the ability to walk away if he chose, a clear sign of the leverage he held on the market at that moment.
The Fine Print
In MLB, a fully guaranteed contract means the team owes every dollar regardless of injury, performance, or roster changes. Bauer’s $102 million was fully guaranteed, but the opt-out clauses gave him an additional layer of flexibility. These escape hatches are a common tool agents use to keep their clients in a strong position for future negotiations.
Where He Ranks Among the Best-Paid
Bauer’s deal doesn’t crack the top tier of all-time MLB contracts, and he no longer appears in active-player salary rankings. At the time of signing, though, it represented an elite commitment — one that reflected exactly how dominant his 2020 season had looked.
His Previous Contracts
- Cincinnati Reds, 2020: $17.5 million (arbitration)
Bauer reached the Dodgers off the back of a historic 2020 with Cincinnati, where he won the NL Cy Young and earned $17.5 million through arbitration. That performance made him the most sought-after arm on the market and set the stage for the $102 million deal that followed.
Why the Contract Never Played Out
Bauer was placed on paid administrative leave on June 28, 2021, following a sexual assault allegation, and never pitched in MLB again. The league suspended him 324 games under its domestic violence policy; an arbitrator reduced that to 194 games in December 2022. The Dodgers released him in January 2023 with $22.54 million still owed. No criminal charges were filed by prosecutors.
Career Earnings
Adding up all his MLB contracts, Bauer earned an estimated $120 million guaranteed over his career. That figure covers base salary, signing bonuses, and collected incentives — not endorsements or earnings from leagues outside the United States.
