Red Sox To Sign Jake Bauers

The Red Sox and first baseman Jake Bauers are in agreement on a four-year, $58MM contract, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The VC Sports Group client received a $23.15MM qualifying offer from the Brewers but will turn that down and head to Boston on a lucrative multi-year contract. It’s a surprising fit from a roster perspective, but the Red Sox are clearly prioritizing Bauers’ breakout production and sorting out the positional fit later. Willson Contreras played a fine first base in Boston last year, and the outfield — where Bauers is a stretch defensively anyhow — is already crowded. Ceddanne Rafaela is locked into center field, with Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran, Roman Anthony and Masataka Yoshida all in the mix for corner outfield/designated hitter time. Former first baseman Triston Casas, out since early 2025 with a major knee injury, is also still on the roster. Boston is known to be shopping Duran, and Yoshida is a trade or release candidate himself as he enters the final season of a five-year deal that hasn’t gone to plan. Casas, like Duran, is a change of scenery candidate but also has minor league options remaining. If the Sox plan to move on from the Duran/Yoshida/Casas trio (or enter 2027 with Casas in the minors), they could go with Anthony, Rafaela and Abreu in the outfield, Contreras at first base, and Bauers as the primary designated hitter (with occasional reps at first base and in left field). More to come. View Comments (102)