Red Sox sign Jake Bauers

[Hitch]

17 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Actually it’s costing them two picks.  The Sox will lose their 2nd, and 5th round pick next year.

and, they will also lose one million in international bonus pool money.

As I mentioned, in isolation I don't dislike it, but that's a steep price to pay.

If he's last year's guy for 2/3 of his 4 yeaes it's worth it. If he isnt...eesh.

[Old Red]

18 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Actually it’s costing them two picks.  The Sox will lose their 2nd, and 5th round pick next year.

and, they will also lose one million in international bonus pool money.

Did the Brewers offer this guy anything outside of the QO?

[Old Red]

7 minutes ago, Hitch said:

As I mentioned, in isolation I don't dislike it, but that's a steep price to pay.

If he's last year's guy for 2/3 of his 4 yeaes it's worth it. If he isnt...eesh.

It’s not a steep price, but it takes money away that could be spent elsewhere. A big middle of the order bat is still needed, and I hope this isn’t Brez’s version of it.🤔

[notin]

1 hour ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

With MLB free agent contracts, you pay at the back end for what you get at the front end.

They all can go south -- like to the South Bronx next postseason, where the Sox can again try to make chicken salad out of chicken noodle bats.

Or they can keep stockpiling offensive talent to improve their chances that someone will get hot and wear down pitchers so that other batters can see more mistake pitches... and gapitalize (just made that one up).

There may be no front end worth paying for.  And while I get that can happen with any free agent, let’s not pretend the chances are all equal. 

Would you give that contract to Gavin Sheets or Lane Thomas or Harrison Bader?  You know, the guys on Bauers’ “Most Similar Hittersc By Age 30 list…

[Hugh2]

36 minutes ago, Hitch said:

As I mentioned, in isolation I don't dislike it, but that's a steep price to pay.

If he's last year's guy for 2/3 of his 4 yeaes it's worth it. If he isnt...eesh.

This is my take, if the Sox have good reason to believe he’s the guy he was last year and he’s good for several seasons then the deal is a steal.  
 

if he’s a one hit wonder then it’s an awful look

[Hugh2]

26 minutes ago, Old Red said:

It’s not a steep price, but it takes money away that could be spent elsewhere. A big middle of the order bat is still needed, and I hope this isn’t Brez’s version of it.🤔

It’s a pretty steep price

[Old Red]

7 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

It’s a pretty steep price

I guess it depends on what you call a steep price. Steep would have been Alonso, or Bregman money. This isn’t even half of that, and not quite $15M per, but still takes away from elsewhere.

[jad]

6 minutes ago, Old Red said:

I guess it depends on what you call a steep price. Steep would have been Alonso, or Bregman money. This isn’t even half of that, and not quite $15M per, but still takes away from elsewhere.

Then again, 30 million/yr that buys you something (Betts, Devers, Bregmn) is cheaper than 15/year tht buys you nothing.

[Hugh2]

4 minutes ago, Old Red said:

I guess it depends on what you call a steep price. Steep would have been Alonso, or Bregman money. This isn’t even half of that, and not quite $15M per, but still takes away from elsewhere.

Alonso has more power and is more of a proven commodity.  Two draft picks and one million of international money would have been a much smaller price to pay for Alonso

[Old Red]

3 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Alonso has more power and is more of a proven commodity.  Two draft picks and one million of international money would have been a much smaller price to pay for Alonso

I Agee 100%, but Brez obviously thinks Bauers is worth it.

[Old Red]

5 minutes ago, jad said:

Then again, 30 million/yr that buys you something (Betts, Devers, Bregmn) is cheaper than 15/year tht buys you nothing.

Agree, and still in need of a Betts, Devers, or Bregman type bat.

[Hugh2]

10 minutes ago, Old Red said:

I Agee 100%, but Brez obviously thinks Bauers is worth it.

Is he worth what Alonso would have been paid? Doubt it, but he might be well worth this contract.  The draft picks/bonus money is the same so it feels like a steeper price for a guy who is a tier below Alonso.

however, the cost of signing another FA with draft pick compensation is much smaller.  It almost makes sense to sign multiple FA any year you go after a Q.O. Guy
 

giving up a 3rd rounder for Skubal is peanuts 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

For all the posters who thought and think that Breslow knows what he's doing -- and there are several -- then you gotta believe in the Bauers acquisition.

Just like you think a dumpy-looking Rutschman isn't past his prime at 29 and breakout Mead is just coming into his own own (not a typo) -- and both of them are worth trading five highly-regarded prospects, and not just two draft picks.

Because face it, the Red Sox aren't committing kajillions on the next Devers or even the next Yoshida. But they're always Jonesing for the next Jahmai.

 

[Hugh2]

17 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

For all the posters who thought and think that Breslow knows what he's doing -- and there are several -- then you gotta believe in the Bauers acquisition.

Just like you think a dumpy-looking Rutschman isn't past his prime at 29 and breakout Mead is just coming into his own own (not a typo) -- and both of them are worth trading five highly-regarded prospects, and not just two draft picks.

Because face it, the Red Sox aren't committing kajillions on the next Devers or even the next Yoshida. But they're always Jonesing for the next Jahmai.

 

I think it is worth mentioning how weak this free agency class is.  By comparison, Bauers is one of the best offensive players on the market

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

12 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

I think it is worth mentioning how weak this free agency class is.  By comparison, Bauers is one of the best offensive players on the market

And his entire contract will basically cost what the Sox will pay Story, Yoshida and Bello combined this year (it's a little more, but Bello's doubles next season -- not a misprint).

[southpaw777]

20 hours ago, a700hitter said:

When I mentioned him during the World Series, people Pooh-poohed it.  I guess the Red Sox thought differently.

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/11/red-sox-sign-jake-bauers.html

Not me. I believe I mentioned his name a couple times and that he’d be exactly the kind of player who the Sox would try and get. He should do good in Boston. Looking forward to some more power and a better ops vs RHP…I’m ok with 14.5 per for some needed LH power

[southpaw777]

19 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

"WHERE will we play Bauers?"

How about: right in the heart of the batting order!

And let's settle something right now. The Red Sox didn't sign this guy because he hit .095 in the World Series. In the regular season he led the best team in baseball in Home Runs and On Base Percentage. 

You find a place for a bat like that. Good start to the offseason.

Exactly. Put him in front of Contreras so he sees some good pitches.

[southpaw777]

18 hours ago, Old Red said:

Hope he brings last years bat with him, and not the bat he’s used all his other years, which wasn’t very good. 

I read where he adjusted his swing a bit, refined his approach and got the results. Hopefully it sticks.

[NHNative]

4 minutes ago, southpaw777 said:

I read where he adjusted his swing a bit, refined his approach and got the results. Hopefully it sticks.

Looking forward to STing, where I am sure he will continue to work on it.

[Hugh2]

30 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

And his entire contract will basically cost what the Sox will pay Story, Yoshida and Bello combined this year (it's a little more, but Bello's doubles next season -- not a misprint).

I mean, none of that is really extraordinary 

[Hugh2]

2 minutes ago, NHNative said:

Looking forward to STing, where I am sure he will continue to work on it.

Don’t work on it, whatever he’s doing it was working.  No more tinkering, keep the swing he has

[Hugh2]

If Bauers is as good as he was last year, he’d be worth about 4 years, $130 million

 

if hes as good as he was prior he’s worth about the league minimum 

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, Old Red said:

 Most of the opinions on Bauers so far that I have heard has been pretty much meh, so anything better than that will be a good accomplishment.

Your sliding scale of gobble-dee-goop summed up very nicely.

[Randy Red Sox]

14 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

I wouldn't want Seager. Nate is a long shot.

We wanted Seager 2-3 years ago.  Probably not now. At the deadline this yr everyone was up in arms about NOT trading Arias yet there are so many posts now about adding a shortstop. I don't get it. Has the guy slipped that much?

[NHNative]

8 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Don’t work on it, whatever he’s doing it was working.  No more tinkering, keep the swing he has

I was meaning solidifying what is working. Practice.

[Hitch]

2 hours ago, Old Red said:

It’s not a steep price, but it takes money away that could be spent elsewhere. A big middle of the order bat is still needed, and I hope this isn’t Brez’s version of it.🤔

2 early draft picks and losing international money is a steep price.

[moonslav59]

Just now, Randy Red Sox said:

We wanted Seager 2-3 years ago.  Probably not now. At the deadline this yr everyone was up in arms about NOT trading Arias yet there are so many posts now about adding a shortstop. I don't get it. Has the guy slipped that much?

I don't see suggesting an Arias plus others deal for DLC as any slippage at all. It shows I value him enormously.

[NHNative]

Just grab a Sato.

[moonslav59]

Just now, Hitch said:

2 early draft picks and losing international money is a steep price.

This was one reason I wanted Sato. Maybe better production at near the same cost in money.

[moonslav59]

Just now, NHNative said:

Just grab a Sato.

We still can, but most see him as a DH.