Brewers' 2027 payroll update after Jake Bauers effectively declines qualifying offer, signs with Red Sox

Over each of the past three offseasons, the Milwaukee Brewers have extended a qualifying offer to one of their players entering free agency. Willy Adames declined the offer for the 2025 season before signing a seven-year, $182 million deal with the San Francisco Giants. In 2026, Brandon Woodruff played on the $22.025 million qualifying offer, and most recently, Jake Bauers declined the Brewers' offer and subsequently signed a four-year, $58 million contract with the Boston Red Sox.

In Bauers' case, he essentially traded a lucrative $23.15 million salary for one season, with the uncertainty of securing a multi-year deal after 2027, for a contract with a lower annual average value of $14.5 million but significantly more guaranteed money over the long term. Such a decision was wise given the uncertainty of the 2027 season's schedule and Bauers' quick rise in production.

Unfortunate as Bauers' departure is, trying to outbid the Red Sox would have been out of the Brewers' character, and contradicted the roster construction strategies that have led to Milwaukee's sustained success. And now, the Brewers presumably have the financial resources they had allocated to Bauers freed up to spend elsewhere. Regardless of whether that's on internal contract extensions or external free agents remains to be seen, but let's take a look at where the Brewers' payroll stands following the Bauers news.

Milwaukee Brewers payroll update after Jake Bauers declines qualifying offer

According to FanGraphs' Roster Resource, the Brewers' projected 2027 payroll currently sits at $119 million without Bauers, compared to an estimated $142 million at the end of last season, and Spotrac's estimations are in a similar spot. The Brewers' roster could get more expensive simply as a result of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which is expected to increase the benefits for players at the beginning of their careers, but Milwaukee will also have additional funds from their lucrative World Series run.

In addition to potentially being spent on a contract extension or two, the money "saved" from Bauers effectively declining the Brewers' qualifying offer by signing with the Red Sox could be used on the free agent market. Milwaukee used this approach in 2024 after Adames declined his qualifying offer, leading to several notable additions, including Rhys Hoskins on a two-year, $34 million deal, Wade Miley for $8.5 million, and Jacob Junis for $7 million.

With relatively few holes on the roster this offseason, Milwaukee's front office has several ways it could put that money to use. The Brewers could direct it toward the relief pitcher market, where a reunion with JoJo Romero makes sense, or look externally for Bauers' replacement. However, with the free agent left-handed first basemen market being led by Nathaniel Lowe, Rowdy Tellez, and Dominic Smith, Milwaukee may believe their internal options -- prospects Blake Burke, Luke Adams, and Andrew Fischer -- are a better fit.

Regardless of how the Brewers choose to proceed, Bauers' early free agency decision has given the front office additional financial flexibility, and how they ultimately put that money to use will be fascinating to monitor.

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