Brewers Acquire Bauers from Bronx Bombers

[Seth Stohs]

If nothing else, the Brewers have found a way to keep their name in the news throughout the offseason. On Friday, just a couple of hours before teams need to tender 2024 contracts to their pre-arbitration and arbitration-eligible players, the Brewers and Yankees made a trade. The Brewers receive 1B/OF Jake Bauers for outfielders Brian Sanchez and Jace Avina. 

Image courtesy of Wendell Cruz, USA Today

The Brewers have been looking for help at first base, depth around the diamond, and left-handed power, and those are things that Jake Bauers can do, at least to some degree. The 28-year-old debuted with the Rays back in 2018. He played for Cleveland in 2019 and 2021. He spent a little time with the Mariners in 2021. After spending 2022 in the minor leagues, Bauers played in 84 games for the Yankees. He hit .202/.279/.413 (.693) with 16 doubles and 12 home runs. He made at least 20 starts in both corner outfield positions and at first base. 

In his career, Bauers has approximately three-and-a-half years of service time, making him arbitration-eligible. MLB Trade Rumors projects him to make about $1.7 million. 

To acquire the journeyman, the Brewers traded outfielders Jace Avina and Brian Sanchez. Avina is 20 years old and was the team's 14th round pick in 2021 out of high school in Nevada. In 2022, he was Brewer Fanatics' short-season minor league hitter of the year. In 36 Arizona Complex League games, he hit .294.436/.630 (1.067) with eight doubles and 10 homers. He finished that season hitting .245/.336/.471 (.807) with four doubles, two triples and five homers. He spent the full 2023 season with the Mudcats. In 99 games, he hit .233/.373/.442 (.815) with 22 doubles, two triples, and 14 homers. he also had 10 stolen bases.  

Brian Sanchez is 19 years old and signed a year ago out of as a free agent from Venezuela. In 33 games in the Dominican Summer League this year, he hit .297/.414/.446 (.860) with seven doubles and four triples. 

The Brewers gave up two very young but very intriguing prospects for the opportunity to offer Bauers' arbitration in an hour. The Yankees weren't willing to keep him at $1.7 million or so, but can Bauers fill a role with the Brewers? Or, could he be non-tendered if they can't reach an agreement before 6:00? 

We are just over two hours from the deadline. What will the Brewers do with Brandon Woodruff? Is anyone buying that he could pitch in 2024 or that the Brewers are taking calls on him? Could their be more trades? Discuss below. 

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[Brock Beauchamp]

Well, this basically means goodbye to Rowdy, one would think.

[biedergb]

This team is not valuing some prospects very well.  For an average bullpen arm (who did poorly on top of it) they sent prospect Reece Olson, who could have been a 2024 rotation option. Ditto in 2022 with Antoine Kelly who could be a high leverage RP, granted for a bigger piece, who in retrospect failed miserably with this club. Now a utility player for Jace Alina.

This FO has not missed badly on prospects traded, but has missed some which is normal and acceptable, but sometimes the return is very low, and I don’t understand moving on from a prospect who has serious value in some corners (Avina and Kelly in particular) when the value of the return is low, or sadly underperformed. 
If the team is going through a mini rebuild, then keep players who are on top 20-30 prospect lists.

[Michael Trzinski]

57 minutes ago, biedergb said:

 Now a utility player for Jace Alina.

I know Avina is a decent player, but he is an even better person, and for that reason, this trade bums me out...

[Matthew Trueblood]

1 hour ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Well, this basically means goodbye to Rowdy, one would think.

I can't quite pinpoint when Rowdy being non-tendered became an inevitability, but it was definitely before the season ended. Haha. But yes, Bauers is a dart throw at recreating the Rowdy/Aguilar/Thames thing.

[Brock Beauchamp]

42 minutes ago, Matthew Trueblood said:

I can't quite pinpoint when Rowdy being non-tendered became an inevitability, but it was definitely before the season ended. Haha. But yes, Bauers is a dart throw at recreating the Rowdy/Aguilar/Thames thing.

Yeah, I fully expected Rowdy to be non-tendered but thought there might be a 10% chance they keep him for 2024. Now I’d put that at zero or close to it. 

[Jim French Stepstool]

I'm sure I'll have more trades to rank before next spring. So far this one ranks last. I know we have quite a bit of OF talent in the system, but.........

I look at Bauers' numbers & think Doug Melvin walked back into the office.

[Harold Hutchison]

I get kind of an Adam Lind vibe...

Then again... Adam Lind did land us the deal that brought Freddy Peralta to Milwaukee.

[sveumrules]

11 minutes ago, clancyphile said:

I get kind of an Adam Lind vibe...

Then again... Adam Lind did land us the deal that brought Freddy Peralta to Milwaukee.

The two years before acquiring Lind he hit 301/366/490 (136 wRC+).

The two years before acquiring Bauers he hit 206/285/340 (75 wRC+).

What exactly is giving you Adam Lind vibes?