question for those better in the know - would accepted qualifying offers now for next year's season still be paid out if there isn't a season next year? Or would they simply be extended to apply to the next time there's baseball?
Honestly, with what I think is about to happen with CBA negotiations, I think Bauers should accept the qualifying offer for even just the 1 year financial windfall that contract will bring, whether it's paid out in 2027 or 2028.
From a roster/baseball perspective, if Bauers accepts the QO, then I think Vaughn gets traded before the next time the Brewers are playing regular season games. Fischer and potentially Made needing spots on the MLB roster in the next 1-2 seasons, and 1B/3B are the two most likely scenarios for them to break into regular playing time IMO.
If the Brewers opt to "overpay" and extend a position player a few years past his likely prime, I'd much rather it be for Contreras instead of Bauers, because as much as I love Jake's 2026 and postseason contributions, his production is much more replaceable at this point from within the system than Wild Bill's, and I think Wild Bill is just more valuable to this team.