Per Jeff Passan of ESPN, the Boston Red Sox have signed Jake Bauers to a four-year, $58 million contract. In 2026, Bauers slashed .266/.389/.484/.874 with 26 HR and 86 RBI. He played 119 games at first base, 32 in right field, and 16 in left field.
During the Milwaukee Brewers’ run to a World Series title this year, Bauers hit .191/.245/.227 over 58 plate appearances while also winning the NLCS MVP Award.
It is unclear what position he will play for the Red Sox in 2027, as he primarily played first base in 2026 and Willson Contreras played 128 of his 130 games at first base last year for the Red Sox. In the outfield, Boston has Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida. The Red Sox will likely need to trade some of these players to make room for Bauers.
Bauers received the qualifying offer from Milwaukee, so the Red Sox will also lose their second-and fifth-highest picks as well as $1 million from their international spending pool. Because Bauers signed for more than $50 million, the Brewers will receive a Competitive Balance Round A draft pick.
