Where Will Jake Bauers Land In Free Agency?

Bauers made just $2.7 million this year, so to say it was a bargain would be an understatement. Bauers loves playing for the Brewers, and it's hard to imagine the Brewers reaching the World Series without him. They may break some of their own rules to keep him around, and he may be willing to take a slight discount to stay. However, he will want to secure a multi-year deal following his breakout season.

New York Mets

The Mets failed to replace Pete Alonso and had the third-worst OPS in baseball from first base. President of baseball operations David Stearns may be wary of paying a 31-year-old first baseman who has one good season in The Show. However, the Mets need to find answers at first base, and they need to find them in a hurry.

Whether or not the Mets sign Bauers will come down to whether Stearns thinks he can have the type of year he did with the Brewers again. If the Mets see his 2025 season as a fluke, they will surely pass on him. If Bauers ends up settling for a one-year deal to prove his season was not a one-off thing, the Mets will undoubtedly make a push. However, if he ends up settling for a one-year deal, it's hard to imagine the Brewers would not land him.

Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks had the worst OPS in all of baseball from first base last year. Like the Mets, they moved on from their first baseman recently and did nothing to replace his production.

Bauers would be a massive upgrade for them, but the fact that he's a lefty could be a problem. Adding Bauers could make the lineup too left-hand dominant, but they might not care if they get good production out of Bauers. He was able to hit southpaws and right-handers well this year.