LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 12: Trevor Bauer #27 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on after giving up a hit to Joey Gallo #13 of the Texas Rangers during the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium on June 12, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
When the Los Angeles Dodgers opted to sign Trevor Bauer late in the free agency period, they were aligning themselves with a person with a documented history of online harassment and many lesser malfeasances.
While they likely weren’t expecting Bauer’s transgressions to accumulate so quickly afterwards, it had to also be taken as a tacit endorsement of the person he appeared to be.