1B Jake Bauers, NLCS MVP with Brewers, reportedly agrees to 4-year, $58 million deal with Red Sox
1B Jake Bauers, NLCS MVP with Brewers, reportedly agrees to 4-year, $58 million deal with Red Sox
Andy BackstromFri, November 13, 2026 at 5:56 PM UTC
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First baseman Jake Bauers, the reigning NLCS MVP, is reportedly headed to Boston after helping deliver the Milwaukee Brewers their first-ever World Series ring.
Bauers and the Red Sox have agreed to a four-year, $58 million deal, according to multiplereports on Friday.
Boston, which finished 23rd in MLB in runs per game this past season, will welcome the 31-year-old Bauers, who's coming off a career year.
His .389 on-base percentage was the second best among all NL players in 2026. In addition to racking up a career-high 26 home runs and 86 RBI, he also ranked 10th in the majors with 94 walks drawn.
As a result of Bauers signing with the Red Sox for more than $50 million — and because the Brewers are revenue-sharing recipients — Milwaukee will get a compensatory draft pick between the end of the first round and Competitive Balance Round A, per ESPN.
After previously playing for Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Seattle and the New York Yankees, Bauers landed with the Brewers. He broke out this past season, his third with the club.
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Not only did he lead Milwaukee in home runs during the regular season, but he also became one of its postseason heroes. During the NLCS, he slashed .286/.412/.571 with six RBI in a sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In Game 2, he worked a 12-pitch walk against Dodgers righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto, setting the stage for Christian Yelich's go-ahead two-run single. In Game 3, he went yard off L.A. southpaw Blake Snell, launching a go-ahead, two-run homer on the 11th pitch of a seventh-inning at-bat. He went on to collect NCLS MVP honors.
The Brewers ultimately extended him a $23.15 million qualifying offer, which multiple executives expected him to accept, per ESPN's report. However, Bauers reportedly took the first long-term deal of his career.
Notably, in the immediate aftermath of Milwaukee defeating the Rays and winning it all last month, a camera captured Bauers handing the game-ending ball to Brewers manager Pat Murphy. Murphy hugged Bauers — among Yahoo Sports' top-10 free agents this offseason — and said the following:
"You're going to be a rich f***er. Just remember when you're on that horses*** Yankees team and you guys are all playing for yourself, just remember this is the way we used to do it."
Bauers laughed off the remark, and Murphy, upon learning the moment went viral, said he called New York general manager Brian Cashman to clarify that he wasn't talking about the 2026 Yankees.
Ironically, Bauers wound up with the Yankees' rivals.
Although the Red Sox have first baseman Willson Contreras, a four-time All-Star, under contract for one more season, Bauers can slot in at designated hitter.
Source: “AOL Sports”
