LOVE Dave Stewart but this is a knee-jerk reaction by him. He expected the Dodgers to share the same knee-jerk reaction. The Dodgers have handled this accordingly to due process. The onus is on MLB and they are investigating and proceeding. As horrific as it may sound to most of us, it is playing out as it should.
It’s not a due process issue. Bauer hasn’t received a hearing. There hasn’t been an investigation. MLB did what it felt it needed to do to protect its business. And that’s fine — the players agreed to this arrangement because they understand that giving the Commissioner authority to deal with people like Bauer is necessary to protect everyone’s paycheck.
They did not, however, agree to individual clubs acting unilaterally to police bad conduct by players. By following the rules and waiting for Manfred to act, the Dodgers made it more likely that the union will go along with extending Bauer’s paid suspension beyond 7 days. And if they don’t,
that will be the time for the Dodgers to take swift, decisive action.
Stewart has seen MLB from all sides — as a player, as a coach, as a player-agent, and as a front-office executive. His opinion is worth more than most. But I disagree with him on this one. Manfred could’ve acted a day sooner, and the Dodgers definitely should’ve prepped Roberts before he faced the press, but there’s a difference between failing to handle the modern 24/7 media cycle perfectly and doing something that’s actually worthy of outrage.