Bullet point summary by AI

• An MLB free agent continues to dominate independent league pitching stats but faces deeper issues off the field
• His recent behavior includes public outbursts and accusations against officials that highlight ongoing maturity concerns
• The pattern of self-centered actions and teammate friction remains the central barrier to his major league return

When Trevor Bauer threw a no-hitter for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League last month, we broke down why that wouldn’t do anything for his hopes of getting back to the Majors — and why being among the worst starters in Japan was far more indicative of his abilities at this point than anything he does in indy ball. But while all of that remains true, the reality is that what Bauer does on the mound is just one of many reasons why big-league teams have been and while continue to ignore him, as he reminded everyone on Tuesday night.

Bauer was once again way too good for a lineup of Minor League washouts and former college hitters, striking out a team-record 15 batters over eight innings of two-run ball. He also once again proved that he’s one of the most tedious and self-aggrandizing men alive, going on a mid-game tirade at an umpire who missed a call at second base.

Did the umpire blow the play in question? Almost certainly. Is it a red flag that Bauer’s response was to not only berate an indy-ball umpire — a man likely just starting out, and certainly getting paid peanuts — but also accuse him of missing calls on purpose as part of a vendetta against him? You bet, and if you’re ever wondering why MLB teams won’t give Bauer the time of day no matter where or how he pitches, you can just pull up this video.

Trevor Bauer’s personality is keeping him away from MLB as much as his pitching

Of course, the allegations against Bauer that originally got him suspended under MLB’s domestic violence policy were disturbing enough, as was the fact that he got lit up the last time he played in a half-serious league. But even if front offices were willing to overlook his past behavior in the name of handing out second chances (lord knows pro sports teams are loath to grow a conscience), and even if his stuff was good enough to potentially pitch in the Majors, there’s no getting around the fact that Bauer is by all accounts a nightmare of a teammate — a guy whose effect on clubhouse chemistry would far outweigh his impact on the mound.

Just listen to how Bauer spoke to local media after the game.

“I just don’t know what I could possibly do at this point,” Bauer told Newsday, when asked whether this latest start might be his ticket back to the Majors. “Like, everyone with half a brain knows exactly what’s going on.”

“Like I said before, I can strike out literally every batter I faced and I don’t think it would change anything. So I try to focus on having fun here and a cool night and not think about that situation, because it’s just really unfair.”

Setting aside the fact that it definitely does not seem like he’s actualy having fun here and not thinking about his situation, immediately whining in front of a microphone about how unfairly you’re being treated is not the way to convince big-league GMs that you’re a mature adult who won’t rock the boat if given another chance. Combine this with the fact that he just openly accused an umpire of missing calls on purpose, and it’s clear that Bauer is primarily motivated by his own narcissism rather than any desire to help a team win.

Then again, we knew that already. Whispers about the kind of teammate Bauer was have dogged him dating all the way back to his college days at UCLA, when fellow Bruins pitcher Gerrit Cole hated him so much that a former coach once told USA Today that “the odds of the earth burning up” were higher than the two of them squashing their beef. And it wasn’t just a Cole thing; remember that time he got on Cleveland’s last nerve after slicing his pitching hand on a drone just before a scheduled ALCS start?

This is who Bauer is, and always will be: someone primarily concerned with himself and the attention paid to him. It’s why he was mic’d up for his latest Ducks start, and it’s why he’s continued to rub teammates and opponents the wrong way with the way he carries himself. Even if there were no other reasons for MLB teams to want to steer clear, that would be enough.