Will the Milwaukee Brewers find a way to bring Jake Bauers back to town in 2027? This is the first major domino that is going to determine the direction of the organization this offseason after the 2026 World Series.
Milwaukee tendered Bauers the qualifying offer. If accepted, Bauers will make over $23 million on a one-year deal in 2027 in Milwaukee. The qualifying offer would be a significant raise for the slugger, but he has earned a nice payday and there's a real chance he could get a multi-year deal if he declines. It would be great for Milwaukee if Bauers accepted, but The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal threw cold water on the idea.
"My guess is no," Rosenthal said when asked if he thinks Bauers will accept the qualifying offer. "That he will reject it with the hopes of getting a better multi-year deal somewhere else. Now, the [New York Mets] are a team that could use a first baseman. There are other teams as well. The Milwaukee Brewers could use a first baseman. I don't know if they want to pay Jake Bauers $23.15 million, but maybe you work out a longer deal at a lower average salary. ... I expect he will reject the qualifying offer and go for that multi-year deal."
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