Jake Bauers skips the Brewers' qualifying offer and agrees to a four-year, $58 million deal with Boston

First baseman Jake Bauers and the Boston Red Sox have agreed to a four-year, $58 million contract, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Friday. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand confirmed the terms. It works out to $14.5 million a year, and it is the first long-term deal of Bauers' career.

Several executives had expected Bauers, 31, to accept the Brewers' $23.15 million qualifying offer, which is more than nine times what he made in 2026, according to ESPN. Because the deal is worth more than $50 million and Milwaukee receives revenue-sharing money, the Brewers will get a compensatory draft pick after the first round. Boston gives up a draft pick to sign him, MassLive's Chris Cotillo reported.

Where he fits in Boston

Cotillo reported that the Red Sox plan to use Bauers mostly at designated hitter and rotate him in at first base to keep Willson Contreras fresher. Contreras is under contract for one more season.

Boston needs the bat. The Red Sox ranked 23rd in runs scored this year and scored two runs in a two-game wild-card sweep by the Yankees, ESPN reported.

From near retirement to NLCS MVP

Bauers hit .266/.389/.484 with a team-high 26 home runs and 86 RBI for the World Series champion Brewers, per ESPN. He was third in the majors in on-base percentage and set career highs in hits (127), runs (93), walks (94) and OPS (.874). He was named NLCS MVP after hitting .286 with six RBI in the four-game sweep of the Dodgers, including a go-ahead two-run homer off Blake Snell on the 11th pitch of an at-bat in Game 3.

Two years ago it looked like his career might be over. Bauers hit .199 in 2024, thought about retiring after Milwaukee non-tendered him, and signed a minor league deal partly because he needed health insurance with his second child on the way, according to ESPN. He entered 2026 with a career WAR of minus-1.2.