One of the breakout stars of the 2026 MLB is eastbound.

The Boston Red Sox have signed former Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers to a four-year, $58 million deal, ESPN reported on Friday afternoon.

Bauers, who helped the Brewers win their first-ever World Series last season, is fresh off a 2026 campaign that saw him total 26 home runs, 86 RBIs, a 140 OPS+ and 3.3 wins above replacement, while posting a .266/.389/.484 slash line. He went on to win 2026 National League Championship Series MVP honors, as Milwaukee swept the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Prior to the 2026 season, Bauers' MLB career had been a seesaw.

Originally a seventh-round pick of the San Diego Padres in 2013, Bauers made his big-league debut with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018. Tampa Bay traded Bauers to the Cleveland Guardians the ensuing offseason. He didn't appear in an MLB game in 2020, was traded to the Seattle Mariners during the 2021 season and didn't appear in a big-league game again in 2022.

Bauers spent the 2023 season with the New York Yankees, who then traded him to the Brewers the following offseason. While Bauers had found a niche as a versatile first baseman who could also play both corner outfield positions, his first two seasons in Milwaukee (2024-25) were more of the same at the plate, with him serving in a de facto utility role while struggling to make hey in the batter's box. Entering the 2026 season, Bauers boasted a mere career .211/.307/.365 slash line and -1.2 wins above replacement.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.