Brewers Hero Jake Bauers To The Boston: Red Sox Desperate For Offense And Get It The First Big Move Of A Weird Offseason
"Holy shit."
Yep, that was my response to the Passan Bomb early Friday afternoon. The Red Sox inked the dude who turned into Barry Bonds this season and helped lead the Brewers to a World Series.
He's also the guy who went viral after that World Series win over the Rays when his manager, Pat Murphy, told him, "You’re going to be a rich f&@$&? Jake. Just remember when you're on that horseshit Yankees team, and you guys are all playing for yourselves, just remember, this is the way we used to do it.”
What a quote.
Turns out it's not the Yankees, but Bauers is headed to the AL East in the legit first big move of an off-season that will include players all but assured to be locked out on December 1 as the players and owners hammer out a new CBA.
Bauers had a massive season. His .389 on-base percentage was second in the NL. But he really made waves with his huge hits and at-bats in the postseason.
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He hit a home run and drove in 6 runs in the final three games of the NLCS sweep of the Dodgers. Just awesome stuff. The spray chart looks damn good to me.
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I'm with Hogdale - I did not know how Craig Breslow and the Red Sox would attack free agency here. I certainly didn't expect them to make the first big move before the lockout.
Pros: Legit bat coming off a breakthrough season. On-base beast. Can play first and DH. Teammates in Milwaukee loved him. Showed some clutch traits in the playoffs. Might mean they're OUT on Ryan Jeffers (good). A fighter. After hitting just .199 in 2024, he almost retired. From ESPN
After learning his wife, Lauren, was pregnant with their second child, he needed health insurance and signed a minor league deal with the Brewers, making the team in 2025 out of spring training. He was still hitting under .188 in early September, however, when he made a sudden decision to stop overanalyzing his approach and, in his words, become more present in the moment. He hit .378 over his final 19 games and carried the new mindset into 2026.
What a turn - and now he has 4/$58 million from the Red Sox.
Cons: I mean, this is a massive "buy high" from the Red Sox. Bauers has one GREAT season here at age 30, and that's his only season with an 800+ OPS. So there is a risk he's a one-season wonder. I guess I could complain that his signing might mean you don't get someone else, but this is NOT an awesome free agent class; they needed offense, and they got it before Thanksgiving. Also, give up a draft pick since Bauers got a qualifying offer from the Brewers.
Not a big Breslow guy, but this seems like a solid move.
And it's not CRAZY $$. $14 million per? Sox were 23rd in runs this past season and were desperate for help in the lineup - Bauers brings that on day one.
If this is the one BIG offseason move, not good. If this is one of multiple trades and signings to add offense and make the Red Sox a legit AL East contender, then this is a strong fit.
A very surprising signing, but in a good way. Hopefully this is just the first in a busy offseason for a team that limped out of the playoffs at the hands of the Yankees.