The Milwaukee Brewers appeared to know that Jake Bauers would probably depart them in free company. A video of supervisor Pat Murphy speaking to Bauers on the sphere after profitable the World Sequence even captured him joking about Bauers going to the New York Yankees.
Bauers did certainly signal within the AL East Division in free company, however with the Boston Crimson Sox.
The Brewers trusted Bauers in a giant means of their magical 2026 season. He was the NLCS MVP, and he went on to catch the ultimate out of the World Sequence, the primary in franchise historical past.
Bauers signed with the Crimson Sox for 4 years and $58 million, apparently greater than the Brewers thought-about paying him.
It’s a milestone contract for Bauers, who is simply a pair years away from his previous consideration of retirement, nevertheless it’s a bummer for the Brewers to lose a key piece so shortly this offseason.
The cabinet isn’t naked in Milwaukee, although. They’ve some potential choices to exchange Bauers.
Jake Bauers Replacements
The Brewers have two apparent in-house substitute prospects, named in a brand new article by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon.
The primary is Andrew Vaughn, one other former prime prospect who didn’t actually escape till coming to Milwaukee.
Vaughn had a greater 2025 than 2026 however is a slugging right-handed bat who has confirmed his capability.
“The Brewers may retain Andrew Vaughn, a right-handed hitter who FanGraphs tasks to earn $8.5 million in arbitration,” The Athletic duo writes.
Milwaukee additionally has one other Andrew, Andrew Fischer, who’s a potent prospect.
“Their farm system additionally consists of three first-base prospects, most notably Andrew Fischer, who final season hit 48 homers between Class A and Double A,” The Athletic writes. “Fischer bats left-handed, making him a possible complement to Vaughn, however has performed solely 72 video games above A ball. One other left-handed hitter, Blake Burke, hit 34 homers within the minors final season, however was way more profitable at Double A than Triple A. The third first-base prospect, Luke Adams, bats right-handed, and accidents final season restricted him to 212 at-bats at Triple A. When wholesome, although, he was fairly productive, hitting 13 homers with a .927 OPS.”
Given how the Brewers usually function, the logical path will probably be for them to take one in every of these in-house selections.
Free Agent Possibility
Sammon and Rosenthal additionally reference Ty France, a free agent from the San Diego Padres.
They don’t see France because the most certainly alternative, although.
“The possibilities of the Brewers pursuing free agent Ty France, a right-handed hitter who like Bauers loved a breakout season in 2026, would seem slim,” The Athletic duo writes. “France, 32, is a yr older than Bauers and figures to command a powerful multiyear deal of his personal.”
A method or one other, the Brewers will discover a Bauers substitute earlier than Opening Day — at any time when that comes after a lockout begins Dec. 1.
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