Bauers to Red Sox 4/58M

[RobertR]

1 hour ago, treego14 said:

The Packers don’t wait 69 years to win a title.

The Packers won when they weren't poorly run. I can say the same about the Brewers. And Bucks.

[adambr2]

19 minutes ago, RWeeksFan23 said:

None of our minor league 1B are more talented than Bauers, come on man.

No, none of them are more PROVEN than Bauers. 

They absolutely have guys in their system that could replicate Jake’s 2026 season one day. 

[RWeeksFan23]

1 hour ago, cragi said:

That makes some sense. Gives you a lefty platoon and you can use Mitchell as DH wtih Lara and Frelick as LH in the OF

why would you DH Mitchell? He's a good defensive center fielder. Those aren't the kind of guys you move to DH.

[wallus]

Mitchell isn't going to DH guys.....

[willie key]

Vaughn is going to hit .300 with 15-20 homers and whatever rookie we call up will hit 20 more.    Thats 40 hr at first base.    We got guys.  😀😀

[owbc]

I don't see Vaughn as the full-time replacement option and I don't think the Brewers do either. They will find a lefty to cover some ABs at 1B. 

Black is exactly the kind of guy you wish could have a breakout, that would solve a lot of problems. 

[Cool Hand Lucroy]

Consensus on why the Brewers continually beat their projections is that they are uniquely good at playing guys at their peaks and not playing guys at their valleys. 

Getting a top-25 MVP year from Bauers, plus an NLCS MVP, plus a comp pick is about max value from Jake, I think.

That said, I am sad to see him go! He's a forever Brewer in spirit, though. This is the tough fact of rooting for a small market team. You have to say goodbye to guys like him. But you did it after a WS title!

[Lucas O.]

11 minutes ago, Cool Hand Lucroy said:

Consensus on why the Brewers continually beat their projections is that they are uniquely good at playing guys at their peaks and not playing guys at their valleys. 

Getting a top-25 MVP year from Bauers, plus an NLCS MVP, plus a comp pick is about max value from Jake, I think.

That said, I am sad to see him go! He's a forever Brewer in spirit, though. This is the tough fact of rooting for a small market team. You have to say goodbye to guys like him. But you did it after a WS title!

Definitely about as max value as you can get especially when you consider that he entered 2025 on a minor league deal with an invitation to ST. At the end of August 2025 had an 87 wRC+. Then everything clicked and in a span of 15 months he went from looking like a sure thing non-tender to a top-25 MVP year, NLCS MVP, WS title, and comp pick. 

[82brewcrew82]

1 hour ago, cragi said:

Was he though? 
Turang and Miz finished top 5 in actual MVP voting
Miz wins CY
Turan and Chourio gold gloves 
Contreras WSS MVP
we had 4 guys on the all MLB teams and none were Bauers

No

[82brewcrew82]

3 hours ago, treego14 said:

Good grief … this is the topic of the day, and the MLB is still not a fair league.  I rejoice the Brewers overcame this past season and the 2026 Brewers are a champion unlike any other in MLB history BECAUSE they overcame the rigged league!

So you're saying it was rigged FOR the Brewers?  Your position is very unclear.

[treego14]

9 minutes ago, 82brewcrew82 said:

So you're saying it was rigged FOR the Brewers?  Your position is very unclear.

Oy vey!

[rickh150]

7 minutes ago, 82brewcrew82 said:

So you're saying it was rigged FOR the Brewers?  Your position is very unclear.

Rigged against the Brewers and still won…. 
Brewers title > 3 Dodgers titles….. but it’s close. 

[Brewcrew82]

Are we really sure the Brewers are going to pay Vaughn almost $10 million to be the primary first baseman? After the hesitancy with which they opted to deploy him (especially vs. certain pitchers) throughout this season and into the postseason? When Luke Adams is projected to outperform him by Steamer and ZiPS....

I'm not convinced. 

[cragi]

1 hour ago, wallus said:

Mitchell isn't going to DH guys.....

not long term, im just syaing when you use Yelich at 1B. then again, you could also have Mitchell cover first some instead. get all your lefties on the field and at DH

[cragi]

14 minutes ago, Brewcrew82 said:

Are we really sure the Brewers are going to pay Vaughn almost $10 million to be the primary first baseman? After the hesitancy with which they opted to deploy him (especially vs. certain pitchers) throughout this season and into the postseason?

how much of that was just about how hot Bauers was and less a criticism of Vaughn

[Fear The Chorizo]

1 hour ago, RWeeksFan23 said:

None of our minor league 1B are more talented than Bauers, come on man.

Burke and Fischer are absolutely more talented than Bauers, who was a 7th round pick the year he was drafted.  Adams probably is, too.

I dont expect either of thos prospects to take the next 8 years of their career to produce what Bauers did in 2026 - I'm not saying their onfield production in Milwaukee next year will instantly surpass Bauers' career year, but IMO there's a huge difference between talent and production.  In order to maximize the production out of your most talented players, you have to get them on the field at the highest level.

 

[adambr2]

6 minutes ago, cragi said:

how much of that was just about how hot Bauers was and less a criticism of Vaughn

Truth. Amazing how much angst and worry there is about deploying a first baseman who hit had a 134 wRC with us last year, and has over a .300 batting average in over 500 ABs as a Brewer. 

We have done way worse.

He won’t be the only 1B on the roster, but there is zero reason he shouldn’t be the favorite to get the most ABs there right now. 

[Lucas O.]

9 minutes ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

Burke and Fischer are absolutely more talented than Bauers, who was a 7th round pick the year he was drafted.  Adams probably is, too.

I dont expect either of thos prospects to take the next 8 years of their career to produce what Bauers did in 2026 - I'm not saying their onfield production in Milwaukee next year will instantly surpass Bauers' career year, but IMO there's a huge difference between talent and production.  In order to maximize the production out of your most talented players, you have to get them on the field at the highest level.

You're underrating Bauers. Bauers was a consensus Top 100 prospect his final two years in the minors and was a Top 50 prospect in baseball by multiple services when he debuted in 2018.

[Brewcrew82]

19 minutes ago, cragi said:

how much of that was just about how hot Bauers was and less a criticism of Vaughn

Some sure. But also there were several situations throughout the postseason that seemingly called for Vaughn and they didn’t use him.

Now they’re going to turn around and pay him almost $10 million to be the full-time 1B, including against RHP, with the cheap options they have available to them in the minors?

I’m just not convinced. 

[wallus]

29 minutes ago, cragi said:

not long term, im just syaing when you use Yelich at 1B. then again, you could also have Mitchell cover first some instead. get all your lefties on the field and at DH

AND first base? 

[Brewcrew82]

19 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

Truth. Amazing how much angst and worry there is about deploying a first baseman who hit had a 134 wRC with us last year, and has over a .300 batting average in over 500 ABs as a Brewer. 

We have done way worse.

He won’t be the only 1B on the roster, but there is zero reason he shouldn’t be the favorite to get the most ABs there right now. 

I think you need to be careful when citing his line last year. He significantly overperformed his underlying metrics.

If he regresses to that and becomes an 105 wRC+ hitter instead of a 130 or 140 wRC+ hitter Bauers was, you’re looking at a decline in your 1B WAR from the 5 WAR the Brewers got this year to closer to replacement level. 

Maybe the hammate heals more and he’ll be fine, but there’s certainly reason for skepticism. 

[adambr2]

8 minutes ago, Brewcrew82 said:

Some sure. But also there were several situations throughout the postseason that seemingly called for Vaughn and they didn’t use him.

Now they’re going to turn around and pay him almost $10 million to be the full-time 1B, including against RHP, with the cheap options they have available to them in the minors?

I’m just not convinced. 

They were willing to pay Jake Bauers $23M. And they are not normally in the business of paying 23M for 1 year of players with the career credentials of Jake Bauers. 

[adambr2]

2 minutes ago, Brewcrew82 said:

I think you need to be careful when citing his line last year. He significantly overperformed his underlying metrics.

If he regresses to that and becomes an 105 wRC+ hitter instead of a 130 or 140 wRC+ hitter Bauers was, you’re looking at a decline in your 1B WAR from the 5 WAR the Brewers got this year to closer to replacement level. 

Maybe the hammate heals more and he’ll be fine, but there’s certainly reason for skepticism. 

I mean, you could have the same regression concerns for Bauers.

I think the fact that Bauers was willing to take 14.5M on a AAV basis to get 4 years rather than 23.5M to get 1 year would tell you that Jake Bauers himself doesn’t expect that contract to age all that well. 

[Brewcrew82]

3 minutes ago, adambr2 said:

They were willing to pay Jake Bauers $23M. And they are not normally in the business of paying 23M for 1 year of players with the career credentials of Jake Bauers. 

Because Jake Bauers had the metrics of one of the best hitters in baseball this year.

Teams pay based on future production not on past production, Which is why metrics and projections are especially relevant.

[adambr2]

19 minutes ago, Lucas O. said:

You're underrating Bauers. Bauers was a consensus Top 100 prospect his final two years in the minors and was a Top 50 prospect in baseball by multiple services when he debuted in 2018.

Should have no concerns with Vaughn then, who was the number 14 overall prospect as recently as 2021.