Trevor Bauer Joins Estrellas Orientales for 2026-27 LIDOM Season
Trevor Bauer will pitch for Estrellas Orientales in the 2026-27 LIDOM season, making his Dominican winter-ball debut.
World Baseball News Editorial Team , 3 min read 
Former National League Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer will pitch for the Estrellas Orientales during the 2026-27 LIDOM season, adding one of the most recognizable international arms in baseball to the Dominican winter league.
The Estrellas officially announced Bauer as an import starter for the campaign, which begins on October 16. The 35-year-old will make his Dominican winter-ball debut after recent stops in Japan, Mexico and the independent Atlantic League.
Trevor Bauer joins the Estrellas rotation
Estrellas vice president of baseball operations Ángel Ovalles described Bauer as a top-of-the-rotation addition with experience and proven quality across several levels of professional baseball.
Bauer is expected to join a rotation that also includes Oscar de la Cruz, Enny Romero and Esmil Rogers. De la Cruz led LIDOM with 54 strikeouts last season, while Romero ranked second with 40.
The signing gives the San Pedro de Macorís club a high-profile starter as it attempts to return to the postseason and pursue its first LIDOM championship since 2018-19.
First Dominican winter-ball season for Bauer
Bauer has never previously pitched in LIDOM. He said in a social-media video that the Dominican Republic’s baseball culture played a major role in his decision and that he hopes to help the Estrellas reach the Caribbean Series.
The right-hander said he has known members of the Estrellas front office since 2024 and intends to travel with the club, experience road games and interact with fans throughout the league.
An exact debut date has not yet been announced. The 2026-27 LIDOM regular season is scheduled to open on October 16.
Bauer remained active in the United States and Mexico in 2026
Bauer began the 2026 season with the Long Island Ducks in the independent Atlantic League. He went 5-1 with a 2.36 ERA, 66 strikeouts and seven walks in 42 innings across seven starts.
His run with Long Island included a seven-inning no-hitter against the Lancaster Stormers on April 26 and a franchise-record 15-strikeout performance against Gastonia in May.
He later returned to the Diablos Rojos del México, making five starts and one relief appearance. Bauer posted a 4-1 record and a 4.41 ERA over 32⅔ innings, with 31 strikeouts and six walks.
That followed his award-winning 2024 season in Mexico, when he went 10-0 with a 2.48 ERA and led the Mexican League with 120 strikeouts. Bauer also pitched for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan in 2023 and 2025.
Reported deal would set a LIDOM import record
ESPN reported that Bauer is expected to become the highest-paid import player in LIDOM history. Citing multiple sources, the outlet reported a salary above $55,000 per month after an initial request of $80,000.
The same report said the agreement includes travel and logistical arrangements for members of Bauer’s personal staff. The Estrellas have not publicly confirmed those financial or contractual details.
Bauer’s career beyond MLB
Bauer won the 2020 National League Cy Young Award with the Cincinnati Reds after leading the league with a 1.73 ERA. He last pitched in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021, posting a 2.59 ERA.
MLB placed Bauer on administrative leave in 2021 amid allegations of sexual assault. He was not criminally charged. The league later issued a 324-game suspension under its domestic violence policy, which an independent arbitrator reduced to 194 games. Bauer has not returned to an MLB roster since becoming eligible.
He has instead continued his career internationally and in independent baseball, making the Estrellas signing the latest step in a path that has taken him through NPB, the Mexican League and the Atlantic League.
What Bauer brings to Estrellas Orientales
The immediate attraction is strikeout ability. Even at age 35, Bauer has continued to miss bats at a high rate, as shown by his 66 strikeouts in only 42 Atlantic League innings earlier this year.
Winter-ball rotations are often fluid because imported players arrive and depart at different points of the season. If Bauer remains available for an extended stretch, his workload, experience and ability to pitch deep into games could give the Estrellas a significant advantage.
The signing also brings attention well beyond the Dominican Republic. Bauer remains a polarizing figure, but his résumé and international profile make his LIDOM debut one of the most closely watched storylines of the coming Caribbean winter season.
