Welcome Back, Jake Bauers: Brewers Re-Sign First Baseman to Minor-League Deal

[Matthew Trueblood]

One small piece of the band is back together. Although much of 2024 was frustrating for the lefty slugger and first baseman, he carved out a role on the Crew that remains available to him.

Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

The Brewers announced the return of near-playoff hero Jake Bauers Monday afternoon, on a minor-league deal that includes an invitation to big-league spring training. Though they outrighted him in November and he elected free agency, Bauers will now come back with a chance to win the very same role he filled throughout 2024, as a lefty bat off the bench and frequent defensive ace for first base.

Bauers, 29, still doesn't have any minor-league options, but this deal gives him a chance to come to camp and prove he deserves a spot both on the 40-man roster and the 26-man active roster come Opening Day. Presumably, the Brewers and Bauers agreed on an opt-out date fairly early in the process, so that he can explore other possible opportunities if none opens up for him in Milwaukee. Carrying him through the winter on the 40-man would have been tricky, but this arrangement gives both sides the flexibility and security they surely craved.

Although he only batted .199/.301/.361 in 2024, Bauers had plenty of flashes of brilliance, including a lightning bolt of a home run in the Wild Card Series against the Mets. His defense at first base was also welcome relief from the frequent struggles of aging and convalescing Rhys Hoskins. Bauers raises the overall athletic water level of a team that is already baseball's fastest, and they appreciated that extra element, too.

This is bad news for two people: Ernesto Martinez Jr., and Tyler Black. Martinez re-signed with the team rather than wade into minor-league free agency, and seemed to have a fairly clear path if the organization elected to go with a defense-minded, athletic backup first baseman at any point in the early going. Now, he would seem to fall back to second in line. Meanwhile, this reaffirms what many close to the team have perceived for months: that Black's lack of either suitable power or encouraging defensive progress at first base has the team leaning toward moving on from him. Black and Bauers coexisted fine in the organization for one season and could do so again; they're not totally redundant. Still, Black's best chance to break into the mix has always been in the very role Bauers seized, and which he has never been able to take firm hold of.

Whether the team brings both players to camp and waits to see how Black has improved over the winter, or whether they now trade Black as part of an effort to improve other parts of the roster, Bauers's return gives them some stability and added depth, which is never a bad thing. It's a relatively low-ceiling move, but at such a minimal cost, it's a no-brainer. It's also less interesting than whatever it might beget.

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[endaround]

I mean Bauers was consistent in that he could neither hit nor field. His play at 1B is only good in comparison to Hoskins. His wRC+ of 87 last season matches up with his career line of 84. Monaserio has a career wRC+ of 82 and people want him run out Milwaukee. Bauers has a career WAR of -1.3.  There just isn't anything here besides AAA depth.  Bauers is one of the best baseball players in the world but unfortunately for him its in the top 1000 and not the top 500.

[Matt Breen]

Our nightmare continues…

[Austin Tatious]

He’s a progress stopper for other players at the MLB level.  I hope he is headed for the minors as an extra depth piece.  He’s a known quantity, and not in a good way.  

[Ro Mueller]

Jake Bauers, Tyler Black, Ernesto Martinez Jr., Wes Clarke…

Guessing this ultimately results in an early Bauers opt-out, but let’s see…