2026 Offseason and Beyond Trade/Free Agent Ideas

[cragi]

yeah im not feeling a QO on Bauers. He's been really valuable for the Brewers this year, but he is basically an unusually fast DH that doesnt field any position particularly well. Some team will likely give him a good contract, but the Brewers arent going to commit 15% of their payroll to him.

He's platooning with Vaughn at 1B and the Brewers have Yelich at DH. They already need to find room for Fischer, Burke, and Adams.  His value is marginal to next year's team.

Likely they throw that $20M at a pitcher or to extend someone in the system.

  

[wiguy94]

2 hours ago, cragi said:

yeah im not feeling a QO on Bauers. He's been really valuable for the Brewers this year, but he is basically an unusually fast DH that doesnt field any position particularly well. Some team will likely give him a good contract, but the Brewers arent going to commit 15% of their payroll to him.

He's platooning with Vaughn at 1B and the Brewers have Yelich at DH. They already need to find room for Fischer, Burke, and Adams.  His value is marginal to next year's team.

Likely they throw that $20M at a pitcher or to extend someone in the system.

  

Bauers hasn't been platooning with anyone this year. He plays against both LHP and RHP.

[nate82]

It’s near impossible to predict what the Brewers will do this offseason until there is a CBA deal.

There will probably be a floor.  Each of the floors proposed by both sides the Brewers would have to add to get to the floor.  So if we assume there will be a floor then I see the Brewers being aggressive in bringing him back.  

[Brewcrew82]

5 hours ago, wntrtxn21 said:

I don't see any way the Brewers offer Bauers a QO. He's been pretty much a journeyman 1B before this year with a career .223 BA/717 OPS. The most he's ever made was this year at $2.7M. This has been a career year for him, but he'll be 31 next year.  I could see something like 3 for $24M - $27M. 

He’s likely going to surpass Ryan O’Hearn’s deal from last year.

31 is not that old, and he’s got the best wRC+ on the market.