Jake Bauers, the NLCS MVP who helped the Milwaukee Brewers win their first World Series, has agreed to a four-year, $58 million contract with the Boston Red Sox.[1][2][3][4] The deal, first reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan on Friday, November 13, 2026, means Bauers turns down the Brewers' one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer, and Milwaukee gets a compensation pick in the 2027 draft.[3][4][6] The Red Sox had not confirmed the signing when this was written.[2]
 | |
| Player | Jake Bauers, 31, first baseman and corner outfielder, bats left[2][5] |
|---|---|
| New team | Boston Red Sox[1][2][3] |
| Contract | 4 years, $58 million (about $14.5 million a year on average)[2][3][6] |
| First reported | ESPN's Jeff Passan, November 13, 2026[2][3][4] |
| Turned down | $23.15 million qualifying offer from Milwaukee[3][4][6] |
| 2026 season | .266, 26 HR, 86 RBIs, .874 OPS in 144 games[2][4][6] |
| Postseason | NLCS MVP; World Series champion with the Brewers[2][4] |
| Status | Agreed, not yet announced by the team[2][5] |
What the deal is
Bauers and the Red Sox agreed to a four-year contract worth $58 million, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand confirmed the terms through a source, and The Athletic reported the same figures from a league source.[1][2][5] Split evenly, that is $14.5 million a year. Brew Crew Ball notes that this single-season figure is more than the roughly $9.4 million he had earned in his whole career before now.[6]
Brew Crew Ball also reports that Bauers earned $1.4 million in 2025 and $2.7 million in 2026 with Milwaukee.[6] The year-by-year breakdown of the new deal, and any opt-outs or bonuses, have not been reported yet.
Why he turned down $23.15 million
Earlier this month the Brewers made Bauers a qualifying offer, a one-year contract worth $23.15 million. He will decline it and take the longer deal in Boston instead.[3][4][6] On a one-year basis the qualifying offer pays more, but the Red Sox contract guarantees $58 million over four seasons, which is more than twice as much in total.[3][6]
Because Bauers rejected the qualifying offer, Milwaukee gets a compensation pick in the 2027 MLB Draft, and the Red Sox owe draft-pick compensation for signing him.[4][6] Brew Crew Ball says that because the deal is worth more than $50 million, the Brewers' pick will fall between the first round and Competitive Balance Round A.[6]
Who is Jake Bauers?
Bauers grew up in Huntington Beach, California, and was a seventh-round pick of the San Diego Padres out of Marina High School in 2013. He was traded to Tampa Bay in a three-team deal in December 2014 and made his MLB debut with the Rays in 2018.[2][7] Before 2026 he had a career .211 batting average and a .672 OPS with the Rays, Cleveland, Seattle, the Yankees and Milwaukee, MLB.com says.[2]
He nearly quit. After the 2024 season the Brewers took him off their 40-man roster, and Bauers has said he was set on retiring; The Athletic says his family stopped him.[5] MLB Trade Rumors adds that he had already told his agent, then changed course days later when his wife learned she was pregnant with their second child.[3] He signed a minor league deal with Milwaukee in January 2025 and made the team.[2][3]
His 2026 season, by the numbers
In 2026 Bauers played a career-high 144 games and hit .266/.389/.484 with 26 home runs, 86 RBIs and 93 runs.[2][4][6] That works out to an .874 OPS.[4][5] He hit left-handed pitching as well as right-handed, The Athletic reports (.901 OPS against lefties, .863 against righties), which matters because lefties gave him trouble for most of his career.[3][5]
The underlying numbers back up the breakout. His average exit velocity was 92.1 mph, his barrel rate 14% and his hard-hit rate 51.9%. The exit velocity and hard-hit rate were career highs, and all three ranked above the 90th percentile in Statcast.[2][3] His walk rate of 16.3% ranked in the 98th percentile. The weak spot is strikeouts: 27% of his plate appearances, the 16th percentile.[2]
In October he was named NLCS MVP, with a homer and six RBIs as Milwaukee swept the Los Angeles Dodgers.[2][5] The Brewers then beat the Tampa Bay Rays, one of his old teams, in five games to win the World Series.[2][8] You can read how that series went in our Brewers World Series explainer.
Where does he play in Boston?
This is the big question, and all of the reports we read raise it. Boston already has first baseman Willson Contreras, its best hitter in 2026 with a team-leading 27 home runs, under contract through 2027 with a club option for 2028.[4][5] Bauers is a poor defender at first base, so the likely split is first base and designated hitter between the two.[4][5]
That squeezes left-handed bats who are already in trade talk. Masataka Yoshida is entering the final year of his five-year deal, and Jarren Duran has been the subject of trade rumors for a long time.[3][4][5] Triston Casas, out with injuries, is likely to stay in Triple-A Worcester.[3][5] The outfield also has Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela.[3][5][6] The Boston Herald says the signing "suggests more changes to come".[4]
What happens next
- The Red Sox have not announced the deal yet. Until they do, the figures are reported, not official.[2][5]
- Watch for a Boston trade involving Duran or Yoshida, which several reports now expect.[3][4][5]
- Milwaukee needs a new first baseman, and gets a compensation pick in the 2027 draft.[4][6]
Frequently asked questions
How much is Jake Bauers' Red Sox contract?
Four years and $58 million, about $14.5 million a year on average, according to ESPN, MLB.com and The Athletic.[1][2][5]
Did Jake Bauers accept the qualifying offer?
No. He turns down the Brewers' $23.15 million one-year qualifying offer to sign with Boston.[3][4][6]
Do the Brewers get anything for losing Bauers?
Yes, a compensation pick in the 2027 MLB Draft, because he rejected the qualifying offer.[4][6]
How old is Jake Bauers?
He is 31. He was born on October 6, 1995.[2][7]
Was Jake Bauers the World Series MVP?
No. He was NLCS MVP.[2][4] Catcher William Contreras was named World Series MVP.[8]
References
- "Sources: Jake Bauers, Red Sox agree to 4-year, $58M deal". ESPN. 13 November 2026.
- "Postseason breakout star Bauers agrees to 4-year deal with Red Sox (source)". Theo DeRosa, MLB.com. 13 November 2026.
- "Red Sox To Sign Jake Bauers". Steve Adams, MLB Trade Rumors. 13 November 2026.
- "Red Sox make unexpected signing of Brewers postseason hero Jake Bauers". Boston Herald. 13 November 2026.
- "Jake Bauers, fresh off a dream season, agrees to 4-year deal with Red Sox: Source". The Athletic (The New York Times). 13 November 2026.
- "Jake Bauers signs with Boston Red Sox". Brew Crew Ball. 13 November 2026.
- "Jake Bauers". Wikipedia. Retrieved 13 November 2026.
- "Brewers win the 2026 World Series". Trend Brief Today. 6 November 2026.