Red Sox Should Ditch Two Struggling Players for Jake Bauers

Earlier this week, eight players received a qualifying offer worth $23.15 million.

Arguably, Jake Bauers was the most surprising name on the list.

Whether he will accept that QO or not is one of the most interesting stories of the early offseason.

Arguments can be made in either direction.

Two years ago, Bauers had one foot out the door of baseball.

From 2018 to 2024, he bounced around the league, playing for the Rays, Guardians, Mariners, Yankees and Brewers.

Teams clearly saw the talent but Bauers couldn't put it all together.

After the 2024 season, he had a career line of .208/.302/.361.

That wasn't in a small sample.

He had stepped to the plate 1,744 times at that point.

Going into 2025, Bauers was projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for an arbitration salary of $2.3 million.

The Brewers didn't want to pay him that, so they put him on waivers.

The other 29 clubs passed.

Bauers became a free agent.

He recently told Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he was planning to retire at that time while his wife would return to teaching, but then she became pregnant, so Bauers decided to keep playing.

He returned to the Brewers on a minor league deal.

A lot has changed since then.

Bauers made the Opening Day roster in 2025 but still wasn't doing much through most of the season.

He had a .188/.314/.338 line at the end of August.

Something clicked after that, as Bauers put up a .360/.458/.560 line in September/October.

The Brewers were encouraged enough to tender Bauers a contract for 2026, paying him $2.7 million.

That bet paid off, as Bauers had a career year.

He hit 26 home runs and drew walks at a massive 16.3% clip.

He slashed .266/.389/.484 for a 143 wRC+.

The Brewers, riding high from their World Series win, put $23.15 million in front of Bauers.

That was somewhat surprising but it's a gamble with pretty good outcomes for them.

If Bauers turns it down and signs elsewhere, they get draft pick compensation out of it.

If he accepts and continues his breakout in 2027, they get to keep the good times rolling.

If he accepts and regresses to his prior form, that would sting but the deal would be off the books after just one year.

For Bauers, it's an interesting calculus.

He has until November 17 to talk to other teams and assess his market.

His decision will depend on what other clubs are offering.

The presence of the QO could have a deflationary effect on his market since he is now tied to draft pick forfeiture.

Teams value those picks.

Before the QO decision was revealed, there was speculation that Bauers could command a multi-year deal worth more than the $23.15 million guarantee.

But the qualifying offer changes the math.

Any team that signs Bauers will have to surrender a draft pick, which reduces his value to potential suitors.

Bauers' 2026 season was a resounding success by every measure.

Once considered a top-100 prospect in baseball, he contemplated retirement after the 2024 season.

After reversing his decision, he put together a solid 2025, albeit mostly as a platoon bat.

In 2026, Bauers became the Brewers' everyday first baseman and put together by far the best season of his career.

He set career highs in every offensive category, which included leading Milwaukee with 26 home runs.

Bauers' 143 wRC+ ranked seventh in the majors and second in the National League, trailing only Pete Crow-Armstrong.

His 16.3% walk rate tied for the fourth-highest in the majors and he ranked 10th in the majors with 94 walks.

Bauers' .874 OPS was tied with Gabriel Moreno for the sixth-highest in the NL.

Bauers kept his strong performance going in the postseason, winning NLCS MVP by going 4-for-14 with a homer and six RBIs in Milwaukee's four-game sweep of the Dodgers.

While his bat cooled off in the World Series, he recorded the final putout of the series to clinch the Brewers' first title in franchise history.