The Brewers have already taken one offseason punch, and it came in the form of Jake Bauers heading to Boston.
Bauers, who was part of Milwaukee’s World Series roster, agreed to a four-year deal with the Red Sox on Friday, giving the Brewers their first real roster loss of the winter. He joins a group of four key free agents who were on that championship team and are now out the door: Bauers, starter Brandon Woodruff, reliever JoJo Romero and starter Dustin May.
Even with that hit, Milwaukee’s position-player outlook still looks sturdy. The cleanest answer at first base is already in the building, with Andrew Vaughn under team control for one more season.
He’s not cheap, but he can slide right in as the everyday first baseman. If the Brewers want another route, No. 5 overall prospect Andrew Fischer is there as well.
Milwaukee still has the look of the top National League contender after winning the 2026 World Series, and first base doesn’t have to become a crisis. Vaughn or Fischer could handle the job, or the Brewers could shop the market. Paul Goldschmidt would make sense if Milwaukee wanted to platoon him.
The middle infield is settled. Brice Turang and Cooper Pratt have second base and shortstop covered.
Third base is the one spot with a little more movement to it. The Brewers could roll into the 2027 season with Joey Ortiz and David Hamilton and be perfectly fine.
They could also choose the younger path and hand the job to No. 1 prospect Jesus Made or Fischer. It’s unsettled, but not a spot that forces Milwaukee’s hand.
The outfield also looks secure. The bigger questions sit on the pitching side, starting with Woodruff. Milwaukee has to decide whether to bring him back or let him go, though it would be a surprise to see him end up anywhere else.
The rotation could use another arm regardless. Jacob Misiorowski, Logan Henderson, Robert Gasser and Kyle Harrison look locked in, and Woodruff could be the fifth piece.
Quinn Priester remains an internal option, but he comes with his own question marks. Keeping Woodruff or adding a durable innings-eater would help a lot.
The bullpen is in good shape, though there have been rumors about Trevor Megill possibly being traded. Even with that uncertainty, the Brewers could still use another reliable reliever. That need only grows if Megill is moved.
For now, Milwaukee’s biggest task is pretty clear: settle first base, add pitching, and keep the roster in position to chase another title.
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For now, the plan appears to slot Tellez mostly at designated hitter alongside Willson Contreras at first base, a setup that gives the club another proven bat but also deepens an already crowded mix of outfield hitters. The deal also nudges the first-base market upward and fits a broader pattern around the league, with players looking for longer-term security as MLB financial uncertainty lingers. [Read more 🡒]
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Red Sox Make A Surprising Jake Bauers Bet With Bigger Questions Ahead
The Red Sox are making a notable swing on Jake Bauers, reportedly agreeing to a four-year, $58 million deal after he turned down Milwaukees qualifying offer. It is the kind of move that says Boston is buying into the bat first, especially after Bauers breakout beginning in September 2025 pushed him into the conversation as one of the most dangerous hitters in the game and helped carry him to 2026 NLCS MVP honors.
For Boston, the appeal is obvious enough: offense that can change a lineups shape is hard to ignore, even when the roster fit is not perfectly clean. The bigger question now is how the Red Sox plan to sort out the positional puzzle around him, because this is the sort of investment that usually comes with a clear path to playing time. [Read more 🡒]